Fangs of Envy
by DenMoother
Summary: Flex is a hollywood actor with a successful career and everything he wants in life. What happens when life suddenly hands you a card you didn't want? When the love of his life isn't given the justice she deserves, he spirals down into a pit of grief. One that leads him to ruin another man's life. Set before/during/after Set for Action. My own telling of Flex's backstory
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys. I'm not dead after all.  
I've just been very busy with life in general. Anywho, welcome to a new story. It's my telling of Flex's backstory and how he became the most despicable character in Set for Action.**

**Just let me get some things out of the way before you got on a hating spree. Just because I have written a backstory for Flex DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT IS CANON. Please DO NOT use my AU for your stories. I would rather his backstory be canon to my universe. You can make him whatever you want in your stories. Also, please do not make Flex a villain for the sake of hurting Sam. Unlike Buck, Flex tries to redeem himself in the end. I think he was a rather written character and actual proper use of a Doctor Who's actor in the special.**

**This story does contain spoilers for the special so if you haven't seen it, don't read this story.**

**This story does have adult themes such as mentioning of drugs, alcohol, police brutality, racism, etc. Do not read if you are under the age of 18. If you have a question about something that was mentioned, please do not hesitate to PM me.**

**Read and Review and I will see you soon  
-DenMoother**

_"When you do well, everybody's after you, sometimes the motives are legitimate, and sometimes it's envy and jealousy."-Robert Kraft_

_"Sure, I can get a little bit jealous. The good part about jealousy is that it comes from passion. It's also the dangerous part and it's an ugly emotion that hurts"-Matthew McConaughey_

Chapter One:

Lights flickered through the back window of my limo. I glanced outside to see thousands of fans standing near the red carpet. Tonight was the premiere of my latest film: North of Metro. My driver parked the limo near the beginning of the red carpet. I took in a deep breath before stepping out. The sounds of shouting and screaming greeted my eardrums. Excited fans waved their hands at me. I gave them my signature smile as I walked past them. I greeted each one on the way up the red carpet. I could spot a figure standing in the bright lights. My heart immediately started racing as I got closer. The figure was a tan-skinned lady with long black hair. One part of her face was scarred up. Her amber eyes shone brightly against her skin. She smiled at me. "glad you could finally make it." she teased.

"I am not late. Everyone else is just simply too early." I retorted jokingly as I took her hand. Grace squeezed my hand lightly. The two of us entered the Pacific Theatre building. The building consisted of two floors. It had beige and white walls. 3 cone-shaped chandeliers hang down from the roof. They were made of white frosted glass with orange light spewing out of them. The inside of the theater was calm. Security did a good job of keeping the rowdy crowd outside. I spotted a short, fat man standing in the center of the lobby. A huge smile flashed across his face as soon as he saw me. "Flex! Baby! Glad you could join us! Are you excited for tonight's premiere?" he asked.

"yep. I'm very excited." I replied. Grace wrapped her arms around my elbow. Don clasped my shoulder. "good! Meet us upstairs when your ready pal! We saved you a spot in the front row." Don headed for a set of stairs leading up to the second floor. The stairs had a dark red carpet covering them. A couple of security guards followed him up. I looked at Grace. "well, shall we snag some snacks then?"

"yes, please. I didn't have time to eat before I came here." Grace admitted sheepishly. "your manager and your makeup artist were keen on getting me out the door this afternoon."

"no worries, babe. It's on me." The concession counter was a single wide counter with five registers. One of the registers was blocked by a brown and white pillar. A brown-haired girl greeted the two of us. I bought a medium-sized tub of popcorn, 2 medium-sized drinks, and got a box of gummy bears for Grace. I knew I was going to regret it later though. We headed up to the second floor. By now, security was starting to let people in. Grace and I made our way to amphitheater 4 rather quickly.

Don and the group were waiting for us. He waved us over. The inside of the amphitheater was colored a deep red with a maroon-colored ceiling. The seats were slated out at every level. They had light red cushioning on them. Grace and I took our seats next to Don. Grace and Don started talking to each other quietly. I heard the doors at the top of the amphitheater open. People poured into the room. Music played quietly through the large speakers which hung on either side of the room.

After about another 15 minutes of waiting, the movie began playing. The movie was about a world that was devastated by an apocalyptic event that had annihilated almost all of mankind. This turned the surface into a poisonous wasteland. A handful of survivors took refuge underground and human civilization entered a new Dark Age. A man named Artus must warn the last of mankind of an impending threat. The move had about an 1 1/2 hour runtime. I was proud of the final product. The fans seemed to love it as well.

I spent some of the night interviewing with the press and signing autographs. I finally sat down again in my limo. I let the window roll back up again. I could still hear the cheering outside. Grace climbed in on the other side. My driver quickly pulled away from the theatre. "well that went well." commented Grace.

"Yeah. It did. Finally a movie I can be proud of." I leaned back in my seat. Grace took my hand. "I just hope it does well."

"you are worried about these critics, aren't ya?" questioned Grace.

"I am. They can make or break me." I looked out the window. City lights danced above us. I felt Grace squeeze my hand gently. "you worry too much. Besides acting is something you love to do. I'm sure you'll still do well as an actor regardless of how successful something is."

"I hate the fact that your right," I muttered. I feel her hand touch my cheek. We shared a kiss in the back of the limo. I dropped Grace off at her place. She lived in the middle-class part of Los Angeles. I wasn't particularly fond of this place. It was gang territory. I knew Grace only had one more month on her lease before she could move to my side of town. The door closed in my face. My driver made a U-turn at one of the nearby gas stations. There was a large bridge separating my side of town from hers. The folks here lived in rather large houses. The houses had a nice view of L.A below. It honestly feels like a scene out of one of those romantic novels.

My house was a 3 story building. The front lights flickered on as soon as the limo tripped the sensor. I stepped out of it. I tapped the window of the driver's side. "get home safe." The driver nodded to me. I watched as he pulled away from my house. The last of the car vanished around the corner. The inside of the house felt foreign and lonely to me. I flicked a switch on the wall. The lights came on brightening the living room up with white light. I walked over into the kitchen which sat near a set of stairs leading up to the second floor. It also was near my workout room. The door to workout room was locked and the lights on the inside of it were turned off apart from two lights that were in there. The lights faintly lit up the outlines of the exercise equipment I had in there.

My kitchen was a 20x45 space. It had a singular window that faced out to the alleyway near my house. I grabbed a meal that I had prepped this morning and placed it in the microwave. I set the cooking time on it before walking back out into the living room. I turned the TV on. They were playing the interview I had earlier. I leaned back on the couch.

_**?: Hello there my name is Darren and the network has sent me to interview Mr. Flex Dexter right here at the red carpet premiere of North of Metro. **_

_**-Darren turns to Flex who has been standing patiently next to him. Grace is standing right next to Flex-**_

_**Darren: Who is your friend, Flex?**_

_**Flex: This is my girlfriend, Grace. She's been excited about joining me here out on the red carpet. **_

_**Darren: well let me just start by saying Welcome and I love your dress!**_

_**Grace: Thank you. **_

_**Darren: Glad to know that our Hollywood legend didn't come by himself tonight. Flex, how are you feeling about tonight's premiere? I know that filming the movie was rather rough. **_

_**Flex: I'm feeling confident that it's going to be a movie everyone is going to enjoy. It's based on a series of books that were made by Dmitry Glukhovsky. I heard he's even out tonight so I look forward to hearing what he says about it.**_

_**Darren: oh yeah, I ran into Dmitry. He's a nice guy. How many days did it take you guys to film it?**_

_**Flex: a whole year. We ran into some issues with the weather and whatnot. Other than that it was an exciting year of filming. **_

_**Darren: Was Grace with you the whole time?**_

_**Flex: (laughs) No. I don't think her mother would have forgiven me from keeping her outside of her studies. **_

_**Darren: Oh! So your dating a college student then?**_

_**Flex: I guess you could say that. **_

_**Darren: well if I may add, she is a fine catch. Does she have the smarts to back up all that beauty?**_

_**Flex: yep. I can vouch for it too. She's the reason why I was able to land the role of Artus in this film. She made sure that I read the books ahead of time so I knew the character I was playing. **_

_**Darren: Damn! Smart and pretty? Well, you've certainly outdone yourself this time, Flex Dexter. **_

I had a rather large smirk on my face. I heard the alarm go off on the microwave. I grabbed my dinner and sat down on the couch. The rest of the interview went by like normal. I changed the channel over to something else. I watched that until I grew tired enough to go to bed.

_Gunshots rang out in the empty air. The hair on the back of my neck immediately stood up. A pair of shadows moved away from the street lamp. A figure laid underneath the street lamp. It poured its yellow light onto the figure. A dark red blood puddle grew underneath them. I knelt by the figure. I felt my heart stop in my chest. "Grace?!" I shouted. She didn't move. She had been shot by somebody. "Grace!? Somebody?! help!" _

_I kept crying out for somebody to help her but nobody came. _

I bolted upright in bed. Sweat dripped down from my brow. I grabbed my phone and dialed Grace's number. I had to know that she was okay.

_**Grace: Flex? What's up, baby?**_

_**Me: Grace! Grace! Are you okay? Are you somewhere safe?**_

_**Grace: Yeah. I'm fine. I'm in about as safe as a spot as I can be. Why do you ask?**_

_**Me: I had a nightmare. You had been shot by somebody. Don't know who. **_

_**Grace: Oh baby. I'm alright. I can assure you that I haven't left the house yet. **_

_**Me: good. I'm relieved. **_

_**Grace: Just try to get some rest, big guy. I'll be over in the morning. Okay?**_

_**Me: Alright. Goodnight Grace. **_

_**Grace: Goodnight Flex. **_

I hung up on her. I placed my phone back down on the nightstand. Relief shot through me. As long as I could hear her voice, I knew she was going to be okay. I turned back over onto my side and fell asleep again.

The first few rays of dawn came in through my window. They filtered in through spaces in the blinds. My alarm went off right next to my ear. My hand reached for it. My finger slid across the top of the screen silencing it. I let out a tired groan as I sat upright in bed. I checked my phone to see a text from an old high school buddy of mine named Tio.

_**Tio: Hey gringo! You doing anything later?**_

I checked my schedule for tonight. I had nothing planned for today other than just chilling out.

_**Me: Nope. Why?**_

_**-Tio is typing-**_

_**Tio: Good! You down for some drinking then?**_

_**Me: You know me, man. You be okay if Grace went with?**_

_**Tio: Sure! Bring her too! That way I can officially meet this gf you've been hanging around with, Ese. By the way, you rocked the interview last night. **_

_**Me: I have been doing this for about 4 years, Tio. **_

_**Tio: well the only reason why I know about your girlfriend is that the media won't shut up about it. **_

_**Me: The media?**_

_**Tio: You haven't seen the TMZ article they did on you? Hold up, Gringo. **_

_**-Tio posts a link to the TMZ article.-**_

I tapped it open. My eyes scanned over the article.

_Hollywood Legend, Flex Dexter Dates a Local College Student. _

_Flex Dexter revealed to the media last night during an interview that he is currently dating a college student. The student named Grace confirmed that she is in a relationship with this man. It's brought up a lot of questions between fans and concerned officials that this may be a bad PR move for Mr. Dexter. _

_TMZ had a chance to look at this young woman's social media. Grace Salazar is a 22-year-old woman currently living right here in LA. Some of the pictures on her Instagram page confirm that she and Flex have been together for quite some time. _

A sharp growl escaped my lips. I didn't bother to finish reading it. I sent it off to one of my agents with a text that read: "somebody needs to take care of this.'

_**Me: Those nosy bastards! There's nothing wrong with Grace and I's relationship. We've been dating for a long time. That shouldn't have been a surprise to anybody!**_

_**Tio: I know, Gringo. I know. That's why you and I are going to get wasted later. Anyway, I have a bit of landscaping to do in your neighborhood. Talk later. **_

_**Me: Be careful Tio. See you later. **_

I placed my face in my hands. I couldn't imagine the harassment Grace probably received this morning. Almost as if right on cue, I felt my phone buzz. I looked to see a text from Grace.

_**Grace: Flex...you may want to come to get me...**_

_**Me: Let me guess... the media came knocking at your door?**_

_**Grace: Worse. Some of them are hiding in the bushes outside of my apartment. I can't even leave the room. **_

_**Me: Just sit tight. I'll come get you.**_

I tossed on my usual clothes which were a skin-tight black shirt and pair of jeans. I grabbed my keys and left the room. My garage sat right next to the house. I kept a Black Camaro z28 in the garage. I started it up and pulled out of the garage.

The drive to Grace's apartment didn't take me long. I pulled up right outside of it to see a couple of people hiding out in the bushes. I rolled my eyes. I stepped out of the car. "Hey! I can see you!" The bushes rustled. I watched as two people fled from them with cameras. I quickly headed inside. Grace was waiting for me. She had on her work uniform. I took her hand. "just stay behind me." I instructed. She nodded. "don't have to tell me twice."

Grace walked behind me. I kept a firm hold of her hand. I escorted her over to my car. I closed the door. Thankfully the windows were blacked out so they wouldn't be able to see her inside of the car. I got in on the driver's side. I pulled away from her apartment complex. "I don't know how I'm going to be able to work with them watching me," she muttered.

"Let me call somebody for you." I tapped a button behind my steering wheel. I began scrolling through my list of contacts that appeared on the radio screen. I found the one I was looking for. I heard the number begin to ring. The person picked up after the first couple of rings.

_**?: Hello?**_

_**Me: Hey Carter. Hopefully, I'm not interrupting anything for you. Listen, I need a favor. **_

_**Carter: Of course. Anything for you Mr. Dexter. **_

_**Me: I need you to keep an eye on Grace for me today. TMZ found out about her and me dating. She doesn't feel safe. Think you can handle being her bodyguard for a bit, big guy?**_

_**Carter: Alright. Where is she now?**_

_**Me: Well we are about to pull up into the parking lot of the Three-Headed Dog. Meet us there. **_

_**Carter: Okay Mr. Dexter. **_

He hung up on me. Grace looked up at me. "you didn't need to do that." I gave a small shrug. "I don't know what those bastards will do to you when I'm not looking. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt." She lifted an eyebrow. "this isn't because of the dream you had is it?"

"part of it." I sighed. "I'm only thinking of you."

She touched my arm. " well colored me impressed, big guy."

"oh, and are you doing anything later?" I asked.

"not really no. Why?" I smiled. "you and I are going out later on tonight. Tio invited us out to a night of drinking."

"cool. You want me to doll myself up?" she asked teasingly. I let out a light-hearted chuckle. "no. You're dressed up enough for me." She rested her head on my shoulder.

The Three-Headed Dog sat in the middle of town. It was a family-owned gas station. A dark SUV was parked in the parking lot. I recognized it right away. I parked next to it before getting out. An older male sat inside of it. He was bald and built like a brick house. His eyes were concealed by a pair of sunglasses. He stepped out of the SUV. " Good Morning, Mr. Dexter and Ms. Grace." I nodded. " good morning Carter." He looked at Grace. "I have been told to accompany you from now until you no longer need my services." She nodded. "Just make sure you stay in the security office. My manager won't take kindly to you being out on the floor and scaring the guests." She pecked me on the cheek. She took Carter inside.

I drove back to my house. A small white van was parked in the driveway. I frowned as I pulled into the garage. I checked my phone to see if anyone had left a text. There was one from Helda. It dawned on me that she said she was going to be cleaning the house today. I walked into my house to the smell of breakfast being cooked. My stomach howled in delight. An elderly Hispanic lady poked her head around the corner. "Good morning, Mr. Dexter!" she greeted.

"Morning Helda." I greeted back. "are you hungry?" she asked. I nodded. She walked back into the kitchen. I sat down on the couch to wait for her. She came waddling out with a plate of food for me. She handed it to me. I smiled at her. I decided to head out onto the back porch to eat.

My back porch had a nice view of the street and back yard. The yard dipped down a bit. The street behind my house sat on a hill. There were a few businesses in the area. I noticed somebody walking along the back fence. They had white hair. Their clothes were a bit tattered. I watched as they disappeared down an alleyway. It was rather weird to see a homeless person on this side of town. I frowned. I took my plate back inside. I placed it in the fridge. Helda limped up to me. "is everything okay? Did I cook it well?"

"You did fine, Helda. I just saw somebody near the back fence. I'm going to investigate." I explained. I grabbed my coat off the wall. "did you want me to call the police?" she asked. "No. Just don't venture outside. Stay inside. If things go south, I'll call you." I headed outside. I went to where I last saw the person. I tapped the side of the belt. I had a concealed blade on me in case something were to happen. The alleyway was quiet. I kept a keen eye on the shadows. Something caught my eye. A shadow knocked one of the trashcans over. The figure paused to look at me. I saw the skin on their cheeks pale. They immediately started running. "wait!' I shouted. I took off after them.

The figure navigated through tight corners. They were much shorter and faster than I was. Their jacket flew out behind them like a small grey cape. A car came rushing down the street. I picked up the pace. They scaled the fence that leads out onto the street. I grabbed onto the fence and climbed upwards. By the time I reached the top, they had already bounced down into the street. The car beside of them stopped. I heard angry cussing from the driver. I ran past the car. The figure was heading for another alleyway. They managed to make it into the alleyway. They grabbed onto the ladder beside them. I lengthen my strides. I cleared the street. I managed to grab them from the bottom of their jacket. The figure let out a shriek of surprise. I felt something sharp go into the back of my hand. I let out a loud howl of pain. I let go of their coat. The figure then proceeded to climb up the ladder. I grabbed onto the ladder. I climbed up after them.

The figure bolted across the rooftop. I tried my best to keep up with them. I have to admit that I am not the most athletic person in the world. I saw them reach the edge of the rooftop. They paused on top of the ledge. They glanced at me. I could make out a set of red eyes under the hood. My blood ran cold. I've never seen anybody with that kind of eye color. They then turned their head. They jumped across the narrow gap to the other rooftop beside them. I picked up the pace. I could feel my leg muscles strain as I tried to keep up. I picked up enough speed to jump over the gap. I suddenly started to feel my action movie training kick in. This was just like filming North of Metro. The figure frowned when they saw me jump it. A wicked grin flashed across my face. The figure then started to bolt off again. They kept several inches of distance between the two of us. They got to the end of this building. I watched them pause at the edge of the roof. The building sat on the edge of a drop-off. Down below us was an overpass. I paled. "Stay right where you are!" I ordered. The figure looked down at the edge. Time slowed down between the two of us. My heart rate picked up. I had to get to them before they injured themselves. They outstretched their arms. They brought their feet closer together. They just let their body fall forward in almost a leap-of-faith kind of pose. I reached the edge only for them to drop off. The color drained from my face as I watched them fall between the gap of the building and the overpass. Their body tilted forward. I backed up a bit. I let out a shaky breath as I jumped down after them. The air blew around me. The figure landed into a pile of garbage bags below. They landed gracefully. I landed but felt the impact of it on my ankles. I grunted as I climbed out. The figure already started running again. They were weaving themselves between corners and over barriers. I decided to take another route in an attempt to cut them off. I ran through the back alleyways. I knew that they were heading for one of the one-ramps leading to the bridge. I heard their footsteps approaching quickly. I ducked close to the wall and waited for them. I could hear them getting closer. I shot my arm out. I heard the wind being knocked out of them. They fell onto their back. Their red-eyed gaze fell upon me. I could see how angry and shocked they looked. I offered them my hand. "sorry." They eyed my hand firmly before grabbing onto it. Their fingers felt boney. I was afraid to pull them up out of accidentally tearing their arm off. The figure stood up all the way. In a calm, soft voice they asked. "why did you follow me? I did nothing wrong."

I struggled as to figure out a reason. "I was just curious. You bolted so suddenly that you looked like I was going to hurt you." I fumbled over my words. "what is a young woman like you doing in a rich neighborhood? We don't get too many homeless people in our area."

I could feel her judging my every movement. "Not like I have a problem with homeless people!" She moved her head to the side. "your side of town has better food. I would have to fight somebody on the other side of this bridge."

"What happened to you?" I asked. "My dad kicked me out. Please don't call the police, sir. I won't do it again." She begged. I placed a hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to worry about that. Follow me." She looked up at me. "are you sure? I'm sure you have better things to be doing with your time." I shook my head. "It's no trouble." I offered her my hand. She eyed it for a second. She clasped it gently. I lead her back towards my house. Her name was Taya. She was about 12 years old, turning 13 in a couple of weeks. Her dad was a raving drug addict. Her mother died when she was younger. Her father abused her from sun up to sun down so she fled from home. She's been out on the streets for 3 weeks. She didn't have any other family members who could take care of her. I paused outside of my house. "you are welcomed to stay here as long as you like."

"a-are you sure?" I nodded. "yeah. This place is getting a bit too lonely anyway. You'll be cared for and safe here." I opened the door for her. Taya looked around. She cautiously entered the house. I heard the bushes near my fence rustle. I glance up quickly. I close the door behind Taya and head over to investigate. I hear somebody cuss lightly. A figure went to get up out of the bush. I grabbed them by the back of the shirt. I slammed them up against the wall. "the hell do you think you're doing?!" I growled.

"um...nothing!" the intruder had a handheld camera. It wasn't fancy like the ones I used to seeing. I grabbed the camera from them. "you were filming us weren't you?" I heard them gulp. "I have the right to film where ever it is I want!" I glowered at him. "not when you are on private property. Now I'm afraid I'll have to take this from you and ask you to get off my property before the police show up." I dropped him back down on his feet. The guy then took off running down the street. "weird-ass kid." I muttered.

Taya was calmly sitting on the couch. I tucked the camera into my back pocket. " you comfortable?" I asked. She nodded. "why don't you head upstairs and take a shower in my bathroom?" I suggested. "I'll have Helda cook up something for you. I'll even get a room set up for you." Taya got up off the couch. "if you're sure." She walked upstairs. I decided to head into the training room for a bit.

I started running on one of the treadmills. Scenes from this morning played through my mind. I pretended that I was still running across the rooftops after Taya. Her jacket flowed out behind her like a thin grey banner. I glanced over the side edge of one of the rooftops. The street was no longer there. There was deep pit about miles deep. I couldn't see the bottom of it. The rest of the buildings appeared to be floating on air. This was strange to me. I turned my gaze forward. Taya was miles ahead of me. I let out a sharp breath. I picked up the pace forcing myself to move faster. I wasn't going to let her get away from me.

She soared over to the next rooftop. White feathers fell out of her body. I got to the gap. The gap suddenly grew large for me. I felt a panic course through me. The adrenaline took over. I closed my eyes as I tossed myself over the gap. I landed on the other side. Taya still had a good enough distance away from me. I exhaled. I took off after her. Panic changed into excitement. She hopped across the gap again to another building. I managed to land this one as well. It was like we were rehearsing a scene directly out of Assassin's Creed. She landed on the next building. I kept up with her for a long time. Suddenly, a gunshot caught my attention. I paused. I went over to the edge. I noticed a spot between two buildings. There was a figure lying at the corner of it. My blood ran cold. I backed up. I jumped from the top of the building. I was in the air for a long time. I suddenly realized I wasn't going to have enough space to land the jump. I let out a horrified scream. My body smacked into the side of the ledge. I desperately tried to grab it. The ledge gave way. I plummeted downwards. Another horrified scream left my lips. I heard somebody shouting for me.

"Mr. Dexter! Mr. Dexter! are you okay?"

I groaned and turned around. I was on the floor suddenly near the base of the treadmill. Helda stared down at me. My vision was a tad bit blurry. I coughed as I sat upright. "yeah I'm fine." I rubbed behind my head.

"That was quite a spill. Are you sure your okay?" asked Helda.

"I'll live. That's what I get for daydreaming." I muttered. Helda limped out of the room. She came back with an ice pack. I felt her gently place it on the back of my head. I relaxed under her touch. I stared up at the ceiling. My vision had blurred up a little bit. I continued to lay there for a while. I slowly sat upright. I felt my head pound once I did. I groaned softly. Helda kept the ice pack pressed firmly against the back of my head. She helped me stand up. The room spun a little bit. _All this for taking a spill on the treadmill. _I thought. She leads me into the living room. I sat down on the couch. She placed the ice pack on top of one of the pillows. She then laid the pillow underneath my head. "I'll get you some pain meds." I nodded weakly. That made the dizziness worse.

Helda came back with a cup of water and some pain meds. She handed them to me. I took the meds and downed the water. I handed her the empty glass. I laid back down again. "could you check up on Taya, please?" I asked. She nodded. "of course, Mr. Dexter." She limped off. I sighed and closed my eyes for a little bit.

The afternoon hours soon come. The skies outside had darkened up. I woke up to voices talking quietly around me. The icepack underneath my head turned into a pile of semi-cold gel. I slowly sat upright. "are you okay, babe?" asked a voice.

I looked up to see Grace staring worriedly at me. I cracked a grin. "yeah. I'm fine. I just had a dumbass moment on the treadmill."

She shook her head. "count on you to do something stupid, doofus."

"I take it you've met Taya?" I got off the couch. The dizziness was surprisingly gone. I felt the back of my neck to find no bumps.

"She's a nice kid. She told me that you took her in." She said. "trying to buff your ego, eh?"

I smirked. "you wish. No, I did it because I didn't want her living on the streets plus the Foster Care system isn't fair."

"well, I'll be happy to help you take care of her. Now you better rest, big guy. No sense in you seeing Tio with a welt on the back of your head." I laid my head down again. I watched as everything faded to black.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

I felt somebody shaking my shoulder gently. "Flex? Babe? It's time to wake up." I groaned softly. My eyes blinked open to see Grace looking down at me. I slowly sat upright. I checked my phone.

"I take it that it's time?" I asked. She nodded. "yep. Get dressed." I headed upstairs to my room. My bed took up a sizable spot in my room. My closet sat to the left of the bed. It was about a 48x48 space with racks that had my clothes on it. I glanced over the outfits I had. I tapped my chin in thought. I grabbed a pair of jeans, a grey hoodie, and a black shirt that had West Coast Customs written across the back of it. I laid them down on my bed before heading off into the bathroom which was to the right of my bed.

I had one of those large walk-in showers. The showerhead itself was a single panel embedded in the roof. I swiped my finger across the touch screen next to the shower door. The showerhead clicked on. A 34x34 square water stream came pouring down from the roof. I tapped the touch screen again to pull up another app on it. I flicked it over to the news station figuring I could listen to it while I was showering. I opened the door and walked in. I flinched as the water struck me in the back.

_**We've got some good news coming out of Ethiopia. Ethiopian lawmakers have approved the country's first female Supreme Court president. **_

_**The move Thursday came just a week after lawmakers elected Ethiopia's first female president. **_

_**Meaza Ashenafi, a prominent law practitioner in Ethiopia, assumed the top job at the Supreme Court after she was unanimously approved by lawmakers for the post following her appointment by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. **_

_**After her appointment, Meaza told the state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting she had worked all her life to bring justice and fairness. "This appointment will help me to achieve more and I believe that I will succeed in doing it," she states. **_

_**"I am struggling with my tears now. She is a force to reckon with. She is the embodiment of authenticity, firmness, and strength," said Hewan Solomon, Co-Founder of a woman's right initiative, following the appointment. "I know what the future holds for women and girls across the nation. Looking forward to a just and fair Ethiopia."**_

_**On October 16, Ethiopian lawmakers also approved a new Cabinet with women making up a record 50 percent of the members, including the country's first woman defense minister. **_

_**Going over to some grave news now coming out places like China and New Jersey. A woman wielding a kitchen knife has attacked at least 14 children at a kindergarten in Chongqing in central China, local police say on Friday. **_

_**Chongqing City Banan District police said the children were slashed as they walked back to class after their morning exercises at Yudong New Century Kindergarten about 9.30 am local time. Videos circulating the incident show small children bleeding from severe cuts to their faces at the entrance of the kindergarten as stunned adults looked on. **_

_**School security guards and staff restrained the 39-year-old attacker and took her into custody. Videos from the scene appear to show angry onlookers attempting to hit and kick the woman after she was detained...**_

I groaned softly. "Athena! Play my workout playlist!" I shouted not wanting to hear the rest of the news broadcast. I heard the AI click to life. "Okay playing your workout playlist, Mr. Dexter." I heard the first few bars of "The Wolf" by Siames begin playing through my speakers. I nodded in approval as I went back to scrubbing myself down.

I changed into my clothes once I finished showering. I made sure that my music was turned off beforehand. I joined Grace downstairs. "ready?" she asked. I gave her a quick nod of my head. Helda poked her head out from around the corner. "Don't worry, Mr. Dexter, I can take care of Taya."

"Alright, Helda. Have a safe night." I said.

"You too." She went back into the kitchen to finish cooking. I grabbed Grace's hand and we walked out of the house. Grace smirked at me. She eyed me up and down in the car. "nice getup."

I rolled my eyes. "jealous?"

"not really. I'm just surprised you didn't wear something over the top," she said.

"I wasn't feeling up to wearing something fancy. Besides we are going out drinking. Which reminds me. I better call Tio and figure out where he is." I tapped a button behind my steering wheel. The radio screen brought up my contacts. I found Tio's and clicked on it. I heard his phone ring about 3 times before he answered.

**Tio: Ey Flex! Where are you, ese?**

**Me: I was getting ready to ask you that. **

**Tio: I'm at The Mayan. I've got Jaylan and Ishad as well. **

**Me: alright. We should be there in about 10 minutes. **

**Tio: Great! We'll save ya a spot!**

The Mayan Club sits up on west 11th street and south Hill street. There was also the Los Angeles Job Corps Center right next to it. I parked up near the side of the street. Loud music was already pulsating through the night air. The Mayan Club consisted of three floors. A bouncer stood at the front of the club. I fished my ID out of my pocket. The bouncer took a glance at it. He opened the door for the both of us. "have a good night, Mr. Dexter." I nodded at him.

The inside of the club was huge. It had enough room for an indoor concert venue. Large screens hung down from the walls. Strobe lights flashed all around us. Club music blasted through the large speakers which made it harder for me to hear my own thoughts. People were dancing out on the floor. I scanned the floor of the club. I spotted an older Hispanic male with two other males with him near the bar top. I tapped Grace on the shoulder and gestured over to him. We made our way over to the man standing at the bar top. I tapped the man on the shoulder. He jumped a bit. He smirked when he saw me. "Hey, Flex! How are ya doin, Ese?!" he shouted. The music drowned out his voice a little bit.

"I'm doing alright! Today has been rather crazy." I shouted back.

I felt his hand grip my shoulder. I winced. He politely let go. "Oops! Sorry! I've been doing construction for so long that I forgot how tight my grip is." He leaned back on the stool a bit. He motioned to the two other stools next to him. I helped Grace sit in the one between him and I. I sat next to Grace. I had to lean past Grace's face a bit to still be able to talk to Tio. "so who are the other two you brought with you?"

Tio gestured to a dusky black man on his left. "This is Jaylan." He then motioned to a brown-haired man with a thick beard and dark amber eyes. "this is Ishad. Both of them work for the same construction company I do. Don't be bothered by their intimidating presence. They're a couple of pussy cats."

The men sat behind Tio. They started talking to one another quietly. Grace leaned against me. I smiled and pecked her cheek. Tio waved the bartender over. The bartender was a black-haired woman with one long purple streak in her hair. She had a nose piercing on her left nostril. Tio muttered something to her that I couldn't quite hear. She nodded to him in turn. She then started making a drink. I glanced at Tio. "what did you ask to have her make for you?"

"not for me. For all of us. Figured we could start the night off right by downing a couple of shots." he suggested. I groaned inwardly. I saw a wicked grin flash across his face. He knew that I couldn't hold my liquor well and would be shitfaced before the night even began.

The bartender placed 10 shot glasses each filled with liquor on the table. Tio and Grace each picked one up. Tio slid a shot glass over to me carefully. "down the hatch." He held his drink up to me before downing it. He got it down with no issue. He smiled at me as he set the empty glass down on the table. Grace downed hers. She set her glass down. I let out an annoyed sigh. I downed mine. I winced feeling it burn my throat a little bit. I felt it hit me. It left me buzzed a little bit. Tio did another shot. This one really hit him. I heard him gag a bit. I felt a small smile form on my lips. "what happened, big guy? I thought you could hold it down?" My speech was slurred a little bit.

"Shut up!" He shoved another one in my direction. I took another shot. I hoped this one wouldn't hit me at all. All that hope faded once I felt it. I slammed the glass down a little bit too hard. I turned my head slightly to see Tio downing his third shot. He was starting to get tipsy. I saw him sway a bit in his stool. I grabbed my third glass. _Here goes nothing. _I thought. My vision blurred. My hand could barely keep steady. Tio was on his fourth one. He smiled at me. Unfortunately, his cockiness got the better of him cause that man fell out of the stool. I heard the back of his head slam against the seat. I began laughing. "Idiot!"

Tio sat up slowly. "if you think you're so tough...why don't you take your last shot, huh? Or are you too much of a chicken?" He taunted.

That somehow made me mad. I grabbed another one of the shot glasses and downed it quickly. This one did me in. I had to grip the counter for support. My legs immediately became noodles. Grace gripped onto me. "I think that's enough for the both of you." Tio got off the floor. "no! We still have 6 more shots to do." He sat back on the stool a bit awkwardly.

I shook my head. "no..the pretty lady is right. I don't want no more." I groaned. I was stumbling over my words.

Tio wasn't going to have it. He shoved some of the glasses towards me. "drink it!"

I sighed. I downed another one. This one went down smoothly. It only got me a little bit buzzed. Tio downed two at the same time. I watched Tio drop like a fly instantly as both shots hit him. Jaylan and Ishad stood up from their stools. They grabbed Tio each by an arm. Tio leaned against them. He groaned. He didn't look well. I flashed him a smile. I took another shot. I set the glass down gently. "It looks like I can hold my liquor better than you, Tio baby."

Jaylan and Ishad gently dragged Tio away. I watched as their large shadows disappeared into the crowd. Grace grabbed my arm. "come on. Let's go dance."

I shook my head quickly. The room spun a bit. "no. That's not a good idea!" I hissed. "my hips lie man!"

She chuckled and tugged at my arm. I gave into her. She dragged me out onto the floor. The strobe lights had turned a light red color. A remixed version of "Red Like Roses" began playing. I kept Grace close to me as we danced to it. The screens had flower petals floating across it. In my drunken state, I couldn't keep up with Grace's movements. She was like a spirit that was just taking shape beside me. Her eyes glowed brightly against her darkened skin. I found myself falling deeper in love with her. I wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her in. Her face was only a few mere inches from mine. She leaned forward. I let her lips fall on mine. I leaned into the kiss. She tasted sweet and it was driving my hormones crazy. She sensed this. She smiled dangerously at me. She then leaned close to my ear. "come find me, tiger." She pulled away from me. She phased into the crowd.

My vision blurred in and out. I searched for her. My heartbeat drowned out the sound of the music. I slipped into the crowd after her. Bodies brushed up against mine. I spotted something move in the crowd. I could sense a pair of eyes fall on me. I smiled. I reached out and grabbed Grace's arm. She flinched. I pulled her close to me. "I win," I whispered into her ear. She leaned against me. She took my hand again. She leads me out of the club. The sounds of the music faded away. I could only hear the city life outside. Grace helped me into the passenger side of my car. She got in on the driver's side. I leaned my head against the back of the seat. I turned my head slightly to the side. "babe. Babe. Babe." I chanted.

She looked at me. She raised an eyebrow. I smiled. "I love you."

She sighed softly. "I love you too." She started the car up. She pulled away from the nightclub.

She drove us back to my house. The inside of the house was quiet. We carefully tip-toed up the stairs. I tripped a bit. I giggled loudly. Grace slapped me softly across the shoulder. She helped me into the bedroom. As soon as the door was closed, I grabbed her and pinned her to the headboard. She groaned softly as she ran her hands down me. I ran a hand up her shirt. I slowly dragged it upwards. She planted her lips on mine again and we both ended up falling onto the sheets... 

**-A couple of months go by-**

I heard giggling outside of the training room. I flicked off the treadmill and carefully tip-toed over to the door. I saw Grace and Taya out into the living room. Grace was whispering something to Taya who nodded. Grace walked out of the house. I went back over to the treadmill. I pretended that I didn't see them. I heard Taya enter the training room. "Dad?"

I stopped running. I turned the treadmill off. "what's up, Taya?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to do something today?" she suggested.

I nodded. "sure. I'm not due to be on set for another week or so. What do you want to do?"

"how about we go to the mall?" I nodded. "alright. Let me get showered and changed." I grabbed a towel out of the cabinet. "where'd your mother disappear off to?"

"she said she was going out somewhere but she's bringing Carter with her. She didn't give me too many details," replied Taya.

I wiped sweat from the back of my neck and my forehead. I walked out of the room and headed upstairs. I turned the shower on. I let the news app play as I got cleaned up.

_**The LA Teachers' strike ends after the Union approved a new deal with the school district. **_

_**The six-day Los Angeles teachers' strike ended Tuesday night after teachers and staff members threw their support behind a new agreement that was reached hours earlier, according to a preliminary vote tally. **_

_**The vote by members of the United Teachers Los Angeles union enabled teachers to return to work on Wednesday, ending a battle that left 600,000 students in limbo. **_

_**The new agreement with the district includes a 6% raise, a gradual decrease in class sizes over the next few years and more counselors, librarians and nurses.**_

_**Union leaders and the Los Angeles Unified School District had struck a tentative deal around dawn Tuesday after a marathon 21-hour negotiating session. **_

_**Going to another part of California, The Police have made an arrest in connection with a deadly weekend shooting at a California bowling alley. **_

_**Torrance Police Chief Eve R. Irvine identified the arrested man as Reginald Wallace, 47, of Los Angeles. Irvine said he was identified within 30 hours of the shooting and was arrested in Los Angeles, where he's being held without bail. Three men were killed and four people wounded late Friday at the Gable House Bowl in Torrance, about 20 miles south of Los Angeles. **_

_**Wallace, Irvine said, is on parole after serving a 17-year sentence for assault with a deadly weapon. He was released in 2017, she said. **_

_**The three people who died at the scene were identified by their family members as Michael Radford, 20, and Robert Meekins and Astin Edwards, both 28. **_

_**The gunshots went off just before midnight after a brawl involving first women and then men. Irvine says it's not known whether Wallace knew anyone in the bowling alley, but was already part of a large group inside. He shot into the crowd with a handgun and is believed to be the only shooter in the incident. **_

I let out an annoyed sigh. It didn't surprise me that these many shootings were going on. It did make me nervous for both Grace and Taya. The last thing I wanted was for either of them to get hurt. My stomach turned suddenly. A feeling that I got on a rare occasion. I turned the shower off. I slipped into the same outfit I wore the night I went out drinking.

I headed back downstairs. Taya was waiting for me. She had on a light grey jacket with a white shirt and a pair of black jean pants. I grabbed the keys to my car.

We drove down to The Grove which sat in the even nicer side of town. It was a rich person's pipe dream in terms of shopping. Taya went up to each window at each of the shops and peered in. I could tell she was in sensory overload. She grabbed my hand as she walked back over to me. "so many things." she whispered.

"yep. I've been here loads of times. It's nothing new to me. But you want to know something?" I asked.

"what?"

I lifted her onto my shoulders. She squealed out in delight. "some times if you want the best view, you have to get high!" She placed her hands on my head. "wow! You're really tall!" she exclaimed.

I walked around the plaza with her on my shoulders. She seemed to be enjoying it. It never occurred to me how small Taya was. She was only about 4' 8" at the most. We walked around for a while. She took in the sights around her. She pointed at a small Asian shop that sat on the corner. "Zu's Imports" read the sign right above it. "let's go there."

I set Taya down so she could enter the shop. I followed in behind her. The shop was a 17x17 space. There were shelves with various knick-knacks on them. There were also racks that some cosplay clothing featuring various animes hanging up along the back wall. Taya began inspecting the plushie wall. I decided to take a look at some of the swords they had on display. They had katanas and blades that resembled ones that belong to video game characters. I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see Taya holding a plush that was about 8 inches in length. It looked to be a four-legged lizard with blue fluff on its backside. The eyes of the plush were a deep red. The lizard had a flat tail. "hey dad? Can I get this?" she asked.

"sure. I don't see why not. How much?" I questioned.

She inspected the tag. "14."

_Eh. Not so bad. _I thought as I shrugged. Taya tilted her head to the side. I took the plush from her. We walked up to the counter. I set the plush down on the table. The store was being manned by a short Asian chick. She scanned the tag on the plush. "15.14 will be your total."

I fished my wallet out of my pocket. I handed her my card. She swiped it through the scanner on her POS. I felt my phone vibrate. I glanced down at it.

_**A card not present has authorized a transaction of 15.14. Your total balance is 39,984.86. **_

The lady put the plush into a bag. Taya grabbed it off the counter. She smiled up at me. "thank you."

I ruffled her hair gently. "no problem kiddo."

We headed out into the plaza again. I got down so she could climb back onto my back. I felt her climb onto my back. We continued walking. I could hear her humming happily above me. Her being happy put me at ease. I felt something soft brush past my neck. I turned my head to see a large tail dangle in front of me. I heard Taya giggle. I shook my head in disbelief.

We decided to take a break at one of the nearby sub shops. Taya had her plushie sitting beside her. The lizard was slumped over with both of its paws resting on the table. It looked like it wanted to escape. Taya nibbled happily on her sandwich. I ate mine slowly. I was about halfway through my second one when my phone vibrated again. I had gotten a text from Grace.

_**Grace:**_

_**Hey babe. Ya available tonite?**_

_**Me:**_

_**I'm always available for you baby, what's up?**_

_**Grace:**_

_**well, I was thinking that you, Taya, and I could have a nice dinner out tonight. How does Olympian Burgers sound?**_

_**Me:**_

_**That sounds perfect. What time?**_

_**Grace:**_

_**Meet me at 7 pm. **_

_**Me:**_

_**Alright. Tay and I are at the Grove if you wanted to come to meet us early. **_

_**Grace:**_

_**I'll try to get there. Work has my hands tied. **_

_**Me:**_

_**Kay baby. Take care. **_

I put my phone back in my pocket. Taya was just off in her own little world. I didn't see her take her sketchbook out. She was drawing her lizard plush. She had drawn a sandwich in front of it. The lizard's neck was craned in an attempt to eat it. "I didn't know you were an artist."

She nodded. "I am. Drawing helps me forget about the stress and things that go on at home. It also helps me get through some rough spots."

"can I see some of your drawings?" I asked.

Taya slid her sketchbook over to me. I began flipping through it. She seemed to draw a lot of creatures. These creatures were mostly shadowy. I got to one drawing. It was of her hiding in the closet. A pair of white eyes were peeking out with her. A large black shadow was on the closet door. "hey, what's this?"

She looked at it. A sad look flashed across her face. "my dad." She pointed to the shadow on the door. She then gestured to the white eyes. "my guardian angel. Sometimes I found comfort in being in the dark. The shadows are my friends. That's how I'm able to hide without being caught."

I nodded in understanding. _A weird way of saying you have demons._ She and I spent most of the afternoon going through her drawings. A heavy sense of dread washed over me. I felt my stomach twist painfully. I noticed that it was starting to get dark. I checked my phone. I noticed another text from Grace.

_**Grace:**_

_**Hey babe. I'm just letting you know that Carter had to leave early. Thankfully it's been quiet most of the day. I've got to swing by my house first thing and I'll meet you guys at the Burger Place. **_

_**Love you. Talk to you soon. **_

I stuck my phone back in my pocket. Taya closed her sketchbook and put it back into her back. She also put her plush back in the bag she had gotten it in. I took her hand in mine. We went back to the car.

I made the drive to Olympian Burgers. It was on the corner of 27th and Vermont. The inside of it was rather busy. We grabbed a table near one of the windows. I motioned for Taya to wait for me while I called Grace. I noticed she hadn't arrived like she said she would. My stomach turned again. Grace's phone kept going to voicemail which wasn't like her. I then decided to call Carter. I gave him her address and told him to check up on her. I went back inside and sat with Taya.

-An hour passes-

We were both sitting on pins and needles. I heard my phone buzz quietly in my pocket. I answered it immediately.

_**Me: Carter! Please tell me you found her!**_

_**Carter: I did, Mr. Dexter but-**_

_**Me: But?**_

_**Carter: You need to get down here...**_

**Hey guys. I hope you are enjoying the story so far. I know that it takes me a little bit longer to update my stories. I do apologize for it. I do have the first couple of chapters ready to be uploaded. I don't know how long it will be before another one comes out. **

**I appreciate you taking time out of your day to view my story. Please do feel free to leave a review. Let me know what you think and I will see you soon**  
**-Den Mom**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Flashing blue lights greeted me. There were about 4 cop cars just a few blocks down from Grace's old apartment complex. I spotted Carter's SUV parked right across the street from Grace's apartment. "stay here." I told Taya. "get behind the seat." Taya nodded. I felt the back of my seat move as she ducked down. My heart was in my throat. I stepped out of my car. My legs wobbled. I was hoping to whatever entity was out there that she was okay. I knocked on the window of Carter's vehicle. Carter rolled the window down. He had a rather grave look on his face. " I'm very sorry, Mr. Dexter. The police found Grace dead just a few blocks down from her apartment. They are going to do an autopsy on her then review the body cam footage to see if they can't figure out who did this."

I gripped onto Carter's door. "wha-what? Dead? She can't be." I stammered. "please tell me this is just some sick joke?"

He shook his head. I dropped onto my knees. My breath came out in short, panicked gasps. I couldn't breathe. I placed a hand over my chest. I shook my head in denial. There was no way she was dead. I forced myself to stand up again. I trudged over to the ambulance. I spotted a gurney with a white sheet over it. I reached out to touch it. The EMT standing there swatted my hand away. "Sir! Don't touch that!"

I whipped right around to face them. "I am her boyfriend!"I snapped angrily. "that's my girlfriend you have on that gurney!"

The EMT stood back. I reached out to touch the gurney. I moved back the sheet slightly. My worse reality suddenly came true. My chest convulsed as sobs left me. I wrapped my arms around Grace's neck. I sobbed into her chest. Her body laid there cold. Her eyes were still open. I gently closed them. Hot rage coursed through me suddenly. I gave Grace a gentle kiss on the lips before laying the sheet back over her again. I stepped away. The EMT then loaded her onto the ambulance. I watched as the ambulance pulled away.

I walked over to where the cops were. "have you guys figured out who shot her?" I asked. I couldn't hide the anger in my voice. One of the cops looked at me. A surprised look showed on his face. "well as far as we know, one of our own was chasing a gang banger through this side of town. The call then escalated to a call about a shoot out. When we arrived here, your girlfriend was the only victim we could find."

My eyes narrowed. "Gang banger?" I asked.

"Yeah. This is the crips side of town. Can we ask why you are asking us sir?" questioned the police office.

"I'm Flex Dexter. Grace was my girlfriend. I'm asking because I wanted to know what happened to her. How soon can you get information?" The officer scratched behind his head. I could tell that this lot didn't know what they were doing. " as soon as we hear anything. We'll need to review the footage."

I handed the officer my business card. "give me a call when you hear anything." I walked away from them. I felt the anger fade into sadness. It was like my mind couldn't decide on what emotion to feel. My blood started to grow cold. Taya peeked her head out at me nervously. "what happened to mom?"

That question shattered what little control I had left. I leaned against my car door. I broke down in front of her. I felt her reach her arms around my neck. "dad? Is everything okay? I didn't mean to make you cry."

I held her close. "she's dead." I rasped. I felt Taya hold onto me a bit tighter. She cried into my neck. I stood there crying with her.

The ride home was silent. Taya had sobbed herself to sleep. She was sprawled out across the back seat of my car. I glanced at her through the rearview mirror. A hard lump had formed in my throat. I still found it hard to breathe and I still felt cold. My fear became a reality. I knew this would escalate tomorrow morning if anyone found out about it.

I carried Taya upstairs quietly. I made sure the house was on tight lockdown. I checked up on Taya to find her clenching her lizard plush tightly. I walked into her room and sat down on the edge of it. I laid a hand on her shoulder. Tears rolled down her cheeks again. I scooped her up into my arms. I held her close to my chest. I laid my head against the headboard. I didn't feel like sleeping knowing that something could happen to her too.

-A week passes-

Dark clouds formed in the sky which was appropriate considering what today was. Helda helped me into my tux for Grace's funeral. I hadn't talked much or ate much of anything. I felt hollow and numb. It had been a week with no news as to who did it. All we knew was that it was a gang-banger. Helda tightened up my tie. She touched my cheek. "I'm so sorry, nijo."

"it's not your fault," I whispered. "I should have picked her up. Her being without Carter was warning sign number one."

"you mustn't blame yourself for this, nijo. Her death wasn't your fault." She took my hands in hers gently. "Taya is ready to go when you are. It's been hard on her too. You have to be strong for her now."

I nodded quietly. I walked out of my room. I tapped on the door to Taya's. Taya poked her head out. The poor thing looked like she had been crying ever since this morning. I offered her my hand. Her small hand touched mine as we walked out of the house together.

The hearse taking Grace's body to the funeral sat outside waiting for us. I helped Taya climb into the back of it. I sat with her. On the inside with us were Grace's parents. Grace's mother looked up at me. I felt a hard lump form in my throat. _What do I say to them? _I wondered. I opened my mouth but then closed it. "I'm...I'm..." I stammered.

"do not blame yourself. It wasn't your fault." comforted Grace's mother. "we know you didn't do this."

"I should have been there for her. I knew I should have gone when Carter left." I croaked. Grief hit me like a ton of bricks again. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's all my fault."

Taya held onto me. I wrapped an arm around her. Tears blurred my vision. I quickly wiped them away.

We arrived outside of the National Los Angeles Cemetery. They carried the casket into the funeral home. I spotted Don and a lot of my team on one side of the room while Grace's family stood on the other side of it. Taya and I took our places at the front of the room with Don and the others. Taya leaned up against me. I kept my arm around her.

The priest began the funeral service. He went through the prayer. After that, Grace's dad did his speech. At this point, the numbness took over. I blocked out a lot of what other people were saying. I could see their lips moving but to me, there wasn't any sound. A deafening static was all I could hear. I felt Don grab my shoulder. I snapped my head up. "would anyone else like to say a few words?" I heard a voice ask. I felt eyes fall on me. Don gave me an encouraging nudge. "go on up there big guy."

I stood up. My legs were like lead. I found it hard to go up on stage. I walked up to the podium. Everyone's gaze fell upon me waiting for me to say something. I glanced at Grace who was lying peacefully in her casket. The lump faded away. I turned my attention back to the crowd again. My actor training kicked in. "I've known Grace for 4 years. She was a nice girl, very outspoken. She didn't take shit from anybody. She, in a lot of ways, helped me become an even greater actor then I already was when I first started." My mind drifted off as I recalled all the moments I spent with her. "Her presence was like a never-ending ray of sunlight. Every time she was with me, I never had to worry about there being a cloudy day. She filled a void I felt in my heart for a long time." I laid my fists on top of the podium. I looked down at my hands. The icy feeling in my veins returned. "now the question I have is...what now? There wasn't a moment where we weren't apart. Where I've never felt empty. I miss her." I let those words hang for a while. I heard everyone clap. I stepped away from the podium.

They lowered Grace's casket into a spot they had set aside for her. We stood underneath a tent while it rained. I kept an arm around Taya's shoulders. I felt her sobbing next to me. My eyes were concentrated on the tree behind where Grace was being buried.

I sat down in the front passenger side of Don's truck. Taya was in the back. She laid her hand on the hump between us. I gently placed mine over hers. I looked out the windshield. People were leaving the cemetery. I heard Don climb in. He tapped the steering wheel in thought. "Say Flex, why don't we drop the kid off and grab a few drinks, huh?" he suggested.

I looked up at Taya. I didn't want to leave her home alone, not after what happened. Taya looked back at me. "Ms. Helda says she'll be there when you get back. I'll be fine." she comforted.

I nodded quietly at Don. I just kept silent. I didn't have it in me to start much of a conversation. Don pulled away from the cemetery. He drove us back to my place. I used my jacket to keep the rain off Taya as I walked her up to the front door. Helda took Taya's hand. She touched my cheek. "don't do anything stupid, Nijo. Come back in one piece."

"I will. I'm in safe hands." I walked back to Don's truck. We drove away from my house. I leaned my head against the glass. Don glanced at me from the corner of his eye. "have they figured out who did it?"

I shook my head in reply. I heard Don gulp softly. "well I may have some news for you."

I looked at him. I could tell he was trying to choose his words wisely. He slipped something into my hand. "call this number."

I lifted an eyebrow. "why?"

"Just trust me. I have a contact in the police department. His name is Delwyn Collins. He's been following this case closely. He's a tech guy. He may have some information for you." explained Don.

I looked at the number carefully. My heart pounded in my chest. Don just shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not going to listen in. The sooner you do this, the sooner you can have some answers."

I dialed the number. The phone rang five times before somebody answered.

_**?: Hello?**_

_**Me: Hey, my name is Flex Dexter. I was told to call you. **_

_**?: Oh? Who gave you my number?**_

_**Me: Let's just say a friend did. **_

_**-I hear rustling on the other side of the phone. I hear what sounds like a door opening. The door slams shut before the person picks up the phone again-**_

_**?: I take it you want to know more about your girlfriend's case? I'm sorry you heard rustling. I had to make sure they weren't listening. **_

_**Me: That's fine but why the secrecy?**_

_**?: It's kind of a huge deal. I don't want them to figure out what I've told you. Where are you heading to?**_

_**Me: Uh...hold on. **_

I took the phone away from my ear. "hey Don, where are you taking us?"

"the Everson Royce Bar," he replied.

_**Me: The Everson. **_

_**?: Good. I'll meet you there in 2 minutes. **_

_**-He hangs up-**_

I put my phone back in my pocket. "okay...this isn't shady at all." I muttered. I looked out the window. I felt like an icy mist hung around me. Somehow I was okay with it. I embraced the feeling a bit further. The ice was what was giving me hope.

The Everson Royce bar was a dark brownish-orange building. The inside of it had graffiti-like art on the walls. Long tables with benches in front of them were placed in various parts of the room. I spotted a brown-haired man sitting at one of the tables. He looked like your typical college student. I could tell from his demeanor that he was very skittish. He clutched a small laptop close to his chest.

Don and I sat down next to him. "Del, this is Flex." greeted Don. The man turned to face me. He held out his hand while keeping the other clasped firmly on his laptop. "it's nice to meet you." I shook hands with him.

Delwyn sat his laptop down on the table. He tilted it out enough so both of us could see it. The first thing he showed us was Grace's autopsy results. I quickly read through them. Grief swept through me. She had been pregnant at the time of the shooting. There was a bullet that went through her stomach than through the base of her neck. My eyes suddenly grew wet. My fists clenched on the table. "that bastard." I growled quietly.

Delwyn closed out of the document. "there's one more thing I have to show you. Though I do have to warn you, it's rather hard to sit through." He pulled up the bodycam footage which was something that I was hoping I could see. Don stopped him from playing it. "Del, send that to Flex. This isn't the place for that."

Delwyn nodded. I gave the boy my email address. I watched as he sent me what he had. He then cleared his sent box. Delwyn got up from the table. "I've got to go. My break is over. I hope I was able to bring you some peace."

A cold smile flashed across my face. "don't worry. You've done more than enough to help me figure out what happened to my girlfriend. I'll make sure I come up with some way to repay you."

Delwyn nodded. He quickly left the bar as quickly as he appeared. Don placed a hand on my shoulder. "let's not focus on her death right now. Let's try to enjoy ourselves."

It was rather late at night before I got home. Helda was asleep downstairs on the couch. I poked my head into Taya's room to find her asleep on the bed. She had the lizard plush clutched firmly against her chest. I kept her door open a crack as I continued to my room. I sat down in front of my desktop. A notification showed on the taskbar. It was the email Delwyn had sent me. I stared at the screen for several minutes. Apart of me wasn't sure if I wanted to see the video. I was really frightened by what I was going to find out. I grabbed a set of earbuds off my nightstand before sitting down at my desktop again. I plugged them in and clicked on the video.

_The video opens up on the officer sitting in their police car. There is about 15 minutes of this before the sound of gunshots happen behind him. A figure rushes past the car. They aimed their gun into the windshield of the police car. Two bullet holes appear in the glass. The officer gets out of his car. He gives chase. They end up running through the neighborhood. The gangster rushes up a back fence. The officer reaches the top of the fence. They have the gangster by the back of the shirt. The gangster falls forward on the fence. The gangster manages to twist his body out of the officer's grasp. They then take off with the officer behind them. _

_Grace appears in frame. She's just gotten out of her car. The gangster turned their gun towards Grace. Two gunshots go off. Grace is on the floor. The gangster then takes off running. The officer turns to face Grace. Grace is looking at them. She's begging for them to help her. The officer stands there for several more moments. They lift their pistol at Grace. _

My heart stops in my chest. "no. No please. Don't do it."

_The officer shoots Grace dead center in the stomach. She wails in pain. The officer takes off running after the gangster. _

I slammed my fist into the table cracking the desk. I then grabbed my chair and threw it against the wall. I watched as it left a hole in the wall. I ripped the earbuds out of my ear. I kicked the side of the desk in anger. _That bastard! He just shot her! She was suffering! He didn't do anything to help her! She didn't do anything wrong! _I felt cold, hard anger flow through me. My eyes narrowed to slits. I stood in the center of my room, shaking.

"Nijo?" came a voice.

I whipped around rather quickly. Helda had walked into the room. She gasped when she saw the destruction. I steadied my breathing. I unclenched my fist. She saw what was on my desktop. "oh Nijo...is this what's got you so upset?"

"They...they were supposed to help her...He shot her...He didn't even express any remorse..." I rasped. I could feel my breathing pick up again. "I watched him do it. No wonder why they never told me..."

She placed a hand on my shoulder. There were a couple of moments of silence between us. "there's only one thing for it." I whispered. A sudden realization hit me. "I'm going to get even. They're going to pay for this." I walked back over to my desktop. I went back to the part where Grace was shot and freeze-framed it. "Helda, can I have a moment? Please?" I asked.

She nodded. She walked out of my room. I grabbed my cellphone off the charge. I sat down at the desk. I took a good, long hard look at the frozen frame on my screen. I dialed Delwyn's number.

_**Delwyn: Hello?**_

_**Me: Del, I need a favor. **_

_**Delwyn: Sure. What kind of favor?**_

_**Me: I want you to give me names and addresses of the people in the video you sent me. **_

_**Delwyn: I'll try. I don't think I have access to that information. The only way I can get you that info is if I somehow gain clearance. **_

_**Me: Please do what you can for me. I need to get revenge for Grace's death. I don't want to let these guys get away with it. I need any information you have on them. **_

_**Delwyn: Give me about 2 days. I swear I will bring you the information myself in person. **_

_**Me: alright. Don't let me down. **_

_**-I hang up.-**_

I put my phone back on the charger. I slowly let exhaustion take hold of me. The adrenaline rush I had gotten earlier faded away. I sighed tiredly as I fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Just a quick warning before you get to reading, I know that there are currently riots going on about police brutality. Please be advised that this story was planned and written before the riots happened! If this kind of stuff bugs you then please stop reading.

Please avoid using my AU as both a means of writing your stories or to paint Flex as a villain like Buck was.

Thanks

-DenMom

Chapter Four:  
-2 days go by-  
Delwyn had managed to get me the names of the people responsible. A bag sat in the back of my car. I had a pistol loaded in it. Ice formed in my veins. Any pain I once felt steadily died like it wasn't there to begin with. Adrenaline and excitement coursed through me. I watched as the sun set a bit lower on the horizon.

"Dad?" came a voice.

I spun around rather quickly. I spotted Taya standing in the garage with me. "where are you going?"

"uh...out..." I slammed the trunk closed.

"out? Where?"

I let out a soft sigh. "listen Taya...it's just some business with your Uncle Don. I'll be back. Helda is inside if you need her." I knelt to her level. I placed a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes had a layer of hesitation in them. "you'll be back, right?" she asks.

"course. You have my word." I stand back up again. I got in on the driver's side of my car. I pulled out of my garage. I swallowed back a lump, knowing that I just lied to her. I refrained from looking in my rearview mirror.

A large warehouse stood close to the water's edge. There was a deep concrete cliff hanging off it. The warehouse itself hadn't been used for a long time. It used to be an old GM store house until the recent strikes closed it down. White graffiti had been drawn on the concrete surface.

I sat in my car and waited. I heard my phone buzz. I looked down to see a text from Don.

Flex-  
Why did you tell Taya that you were at my place? Didn't realize we were hanging out today buddy?  
-Don

I tapped my fingers against the back side of the steering wheel. I debated whether or not to answer that text. I knew I couldn't take my eyes away from the warehouse. Not even for a moment.

A shadow moved out the corner of my eye. I spotted a figure wearing a hoodie. They were about the same height as my girlfriend's shooter. I got out of my car. "hey." I called.

The figure stopped. "sup?"

"You and I have score to settle." I growled.

The figure turn to face. "we do? Do I know you?"

"yeah. You do. Or you should at least know my girlfriend, you fucking asshole." I went around to the back of my car. I pulled the gun out of my bag and aimed it directly at them. The figure put his hands up. "hey now buddy. I ain't want no trouble."

"shut up! You should of thought of that before you put a bullet in the person I loved the most." I snapped. "now your blood is going to spill too."

They reached for something on their belt. "well if you want to play that game," They then drew their weapon. "let's go, Actor Boy."

I took the first shot. I aimed for the tigh. I heard them howl as they dropped down. I then put my bag down on the gas inside of my car. The engine growled. The vehicle lurched forward suddenly. I backed up.

The man looked up for a second. He shrieked as the vehicle struck him against the wall. I began walking over to him. Laughter left my lips as I aimed my gun at him. His shoulders were pinned. I could only see his head. He glanced up at me. "nah...nah come on man. Come on. You don't want to do this."

BLAM!

The bullet went right through his skull. His forehead slammed against the hood of my car. The coldness steadily took hold of me. Before I even had a chance to express any regret. I heard a police siren around the corner. Perfect. I waited.

A police car pulled up. A man got out. "freeze!"

I put my hands up in the air. "drop the gun!"

I flashed the cop a wicked grin. "gladly." I let the gun slip back into my hand. I lowered my hand and quickly unloaded a round into his leg. He called out as he dropped down. He took aim at me. I dodged out of the way of his incoming shot. I took aim at him again. I fired another round into his shoulder.

The cop looked up at me. He went to reach for his video. I kicked the radio out of his hand with my boot. I then pinned his wrist down with my foot. I stood over him. "well...well...well if it isn't Officer Derek? Having problems, Officer?" I sneered coldly.

"Mr. Dexter? What is the meaning of this?" he rasps.

"you see Derek, you have a little bit of beef with me." I give him a harsh kick in the stomach. He coughs up blood. He stares up at me. "you realize what kind of trouble your getting yourself into?"

I knelt down to his level. "I think the amount of care I have right now is zero." I plucked his shoulder cam right off his body. "don't think you'll need this. You'll be dead in a few anyway." I tucked his camera away into my pocket. I then picked up my gun again. "so, Derek, was it? You got a family?"

"that's none of your business!" he snaps

"come on, Derek, tell me. Your only trying to dely your murder further."

He looks down. "please...please don't do this...they need me..."

"yeah? and I needed Grace! So the both of us aren't going to get what we want!" I bellowed. I put the tip of the gun to Derek's head. "you took that from me!" I then moved the barrel to his stomach. "so I'm going to give you the exact same treatment you gave her."

His eyes widened.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

I put three rounds into his stomach. He slumped over. I heard him wheeze once before going still. I stood up. The coldness faded away. My body started shaking. Tears formed in my eye. I took my gun and chucked it into the water.

I loaded both of the bodies into the back of my car. My hand went for the body cam again. I looked at it. *I need to destroy ths when I get home.* I put it back on my belt.

The nice thing about the California Desert was that no one really does any digging there. I pulled the shovel out from the back of my car. I picked a nice spot to dig. With any luck, maybe the animals would take care of both of them. I began digging. The desert soil was a bit tougher than what I thought it would be. I manage to get the both of them buried. I think for a moment. I pull out the body cam I found on Officer Derek. I take the shovel and destroy the damn thing. I then bury the pieces of it in smaller holes around the area.

Don's truck sat parked in my driveway. I paused for a moment outside of the house. "fuck." I hiss quietly. I quickly dialed a number on my phone. Tio picks up.

Tio: Hola  
Me: Hey man. I was wondering. Can I come on over real quick? I kind of did a bit of dirty work and need to get cleaned up before I can come home and lie.  
Tio: Sure. Come on over.  
Me: Thanks man.

I quickly drive away from the house. I looked around the front part of my car. There was thankfully no blood just dirt. Tio lived across the bridge. He had a white work truck parked in his driveway. His house was a single story building. I knocked on the door. An older Hispanic male answered it. He grinned when he saw me. "Flex!"

I smiled as I hugged him. "hey man. Thanks for letting me come over short notice." I walked inside. "Shower room is in the hallway right?"

He nods. "take your time."

I dipped into his bathroom. It wasn't a very large bathroom. The tile on the floor was cracked. I stepped into the bathtub. There was a single pipe coming out of the wall. It didn't have a shower head on it. I turned the knob. Warm water instantly greeted me. I groaned in delight. I'm somehow so much more at ease...like I feel better about killing them..however the aftermath is something I'm worried about. Not like there was a security camera positioned outside of the warehouse. Delwyn said he scrambled the officer's camera so it's not like they'll be able to find it. I'm basically scout free. Taya came to mind. I closed my eyes. I rested my head against the wall. I still don't feel any better about it. It's not something I wanted for Taya but it's not like I have to tell her. She doesn't have to know. I did it for the right reason. Killing them was the right thing to do. I stayed in the shower for quite a bit before stepping out.

I cleaned the dust from my car. Tio made sure my boots were cleaned while I was in the shower. I drove back to my house. Don was still there. I gripped the steering wheel firmly. I exhaled sharply. I parked beside Don's truck.

Don looked up from his phone. "Flex? Where were you? Why didn't you answer my text?"

"I got very busy. Sorry. There was something Tio needed help with. I was going over to your office." I replied. I kept my voice as convincing as possible.

"well that little girl of yours was super worried about you. You should go talk to her. I'm off. I've got another movie deal to land for you." He stands up. I bid him farewell before going upstairs. Sure enough, Taya was sitting on the edge of my bed. She perked up hearing me enter the room. She ran over to me. "sorry about that kiddo. Turns out I had another job to do."

"thats okay, daddy." She hugged me tightly. I returned her hug. A deep pit had formed in my heart. The ice returned to my veins again. That strange feeling of calmness swept over me. "come on. Let's try to get some rest."

-10 days pass-

"dad! Look!"

Taya turned around in her white fox costume. 'what do you think?"

I laughed. "you look great. Very Foxy."

She grinned. "you don't look too bad either."

I was dressed as McCree from Overwatch. I tipped my hat at her. "why thank ya ma'am. You are too kind."

She lightly punched me on the shoulder. "c'mon cowboy."

She walked out to my car. She hopped in. She had to tuck her tail around her waist to avoid getting it stuck in the door.

We headed for a neighborhood that was just ten miles from the house. Taya rang the doorbell at the first house for the night. She stood right by my side. The door opened up. An older black lady answered it. She glanced at Taya. "aww why aren't you the most adorable thing I've ever seen!" she cooed.

"Trick or Treat." Taya wiggled her hips to make the tail hanging of her belt move.

The old lady crooned at her happily. She put a few bars of chocolate into Taya's pillow case. I patted Taya's head gently. Taya said fairwell to the lady before walking back to the sidewalk. I walked quietly next to her. We went to every house on the block. Taya sat down in my car. We headed off to the next neighborhood.

Taya and I barely stepped out of the car at our next stop when I heard somebody shot for me. I turned my head to see a figure standing a few lengths away from us. I went over to talk to the figure. The figure smiled. "you made a poor choice, Dexter." 

I heard Taya scream behind me. I whipped around to go help her only for my world to go black.

...

"Dad!"

"Dad Help!"

"Somebody call the police!"

...

I woke up to feel the earth move underneath of me. I felt a sharp pang in my arm. I turned my head slightly to see an EMT putting an I.V. needle into my arm. My hand twitched. The EMT looked up at me. "try to relax, Mr. Dexter."

"Tay, where is she?"

"We'll fill you in at the hospital."

I sat upright. "You better tell me where my damn daughter is." I snarled.

"she's in the ambulance behind us. Both of you had gotten bloodied hurt. Just relax." The EMT shoved me back down again.

Guilt plagued my heart. The coldness I felt 10 days ago steadily found it's way back into my veins. What happened while I was out? Did they kill her too?

We soon arrived at the hospital. They wheeled the both of us inside. I turned my head again. I caught a glimpse of my daughter's bloodied form. My eyes widened. "Taya!" I shouted.

Taya didn't respond. I didn't hear a reply back. We parted ways at the intersection. I fought through them trying to fix me up. They ended up having to knock me out.

"Dad!"

I turned around. The figure had Taya clenched firmly by the shoulder. A gun trained to the side of her head.

"No!" I shouted as I ran towards them.

The figure pulled the trigger. I watched as Taya's form slumped to the ground.

"No!"

I bolted upright in bed. I felt a hand touch my shoulder. I reared back, fist ready to strike whoever laid their hand on me. Helda moved back a bit. I relaxed my arm. I let it lay in my lap. "Tay? Is she?"

"they managed to get her just in time. She was beaten nearly to death though."

I clenched my jaw. "damn it." I growled through gritted teeth.

"what happened, nijo?"

"I don't know. Some figure knew my name. They told me that I somehow made a mistake. The next thing I knew..I was out cold."

She helped me lay down again. She touched my cheek. A few of my tears landed on her hand. An overwhelming feeling of paranoia swept over me. Maybe they're after me cause of me killing that gang banger? How could they of known though? I thought I was careful. I sighed. "Will Taya be okay? Can I see her?"

"Taya's in surgery right now. I'm sure you might be able to once the doctor clears you to move."

An hour passes by, a female doctor came walking into the room. I was already sitting on the edge of my bed. The doctor checked me over again. "Well Mr. Dexter, apart from a bump at the back of your head, I'd say your free to go. Just on the condition that you rest."

I nodded. I hopped off the bed. "Is Taya out of surgery yet, doc?" I asked.

"yes. She's down in the recovery unit. I'll show you the way. Be warned though. She's not in a very good state."

I felt a deep chill go down my spine. Another ice ball formed in my stomach. I followed the doctor out of the room. She took me down to the recovery ward. Taya was in the third stall. The poor thing was mostly covered in bandages. One side of her face was disfigured. I felt anger wash over me. I sat down by my daughter's bedside. I took her hand in mine. The doctor left the two of us alone. Taya stirred lightly. "dad.." she croaked weakly.

"Tay, don't try to speak. Your safe now." I squeezed her hand gently.

"I can't feel my hand." she whispered. Tears formed in her good eye.

I let go of her hand. "what?"

"I can't feel with the hand your trying to hold. They did something to me." She sobbed.

Panic settled in. I touched her other hand. She squeezed my hand tightly. She almost had a death grip on it. "am I going to die?" she asked.

"no baby. You aren't going to die. I promise that you won't." I put her hand up to my face. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you anymore."

She soon fell asleep again. I found it hard to tear myself away from her bedside.

\- Two weeks go by -

I set up a security system inside of the house. My main office had a monitor viewing the cameras on my property. I wasn't going to take any chances. I glanced down at my phone to see a text from Taya saying that she was being discharged from the hospital today. She had been in the hospital the past two weeks as her injuries were very severe. The beating left her with nerve issues. She still didn't have feeling or control of her right hand. Her left leg had issues with her maintaining feeling and being able to move it. I grab my keys off the desk. I said farewell before leaving the house.

My body felt numb. The coal fires of revenge were still burning. Those bastards had harmed my daughter. I was damned if I left this issue for the police to deal with. I grabbed a small vile of oil out from the glove box. It was some CBD oil that Tio had given me. I took a small drop of CBD before putting the vile away. My body relaxed once it hit my system.

Taya was waiting in a wheel chair underneath the hospital awning. The nurse that had looked after her during her stay waited with her. They both wave to me as I pulled up. My car was thankfully low enough for Taya to get down into. It just wasn't going to be very easy for her to get back out of. The whole right side of her face had been disfigured. Long knife marks went down her face. Her right eye had gotten infected during her stay so they had to remove it. My hand touched her good one. The drive back to the house was rather silent.

Taya limped into the house. She sat down on the couch. I closed the door quietly. She leaned up against the back of the couch. I sat with her. She had hardly said a word to me since the incident. I opened my arms to her. She looked at me for a second. She held her bad hand up to her chest before wiggling the best she could into my arms. She burst into tears. I rubbed her back. "Tay, none of this was your fault. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you in enough time. I should of stayed with you." I whispered.

She sniffed. She cuddled more into me. "But I promise you. I'm going to make those bastards pay."

She cried herself to sleep in my arms. I laid her down on the couch. I headed over to my in-home gym to work out. The sunlight came in through the window. The rays didn't have any warmth to me. They were a reminder that a start to another day of no progress had begun. Life was just going to continue onwards with no ryme or reason. I stared out one of the windows. The silence around me was just deafening. I stopped my run about halfway through. I grabbed a towel and used it to wipe the sweat from the back of my neck. I chucked the towel onto the floor.

I went back into the living room. I slipped upstairs to my office. The cameras showed the usual traffic outside of the house. I sighed as I leaned back in my chair. I tapped my desk with the back of my phone gently. An email notification from Delwyn popped up on my taskbar.

Flex

I managed to find out where those guys came from. They have a small hangout on the other side of the bridge. They like to commune at that old warehouse you ended up last time. They use it as a place to do some drug deals and trafficking. The police have been scooping it out for months. Hope this tip helps. Sorry about your daughter. I do know some therapists who could help her with her pscyhe if you need their contact info

-D

A wicked smile formed on my lips. It seemed like it was almost too perfect. I emailed Delwyn back.

D

Do you know what times the gang normally show up around there? How many guys are there usually?

Go ahead and send the list of therapists over. I'll take a look and schedule an appointment for Taya.

-Flex

I tapped my phone against the side of my desk again. The blood in my veins quickly turned to liquified ice. The chunks were beginning to form again. It didn't help that the CBD had intensified this effect. I got another response.

Flex

Usually around 1 am in the morning according to what little police records we have. Careful though, I heard that some undercover police officers will be scoping out the place tonight. There's usually about 8 of them around.

(He attaches a list of well-known therapists)

-D

A deep sigh left my chest. Undercover cops..perfect...I can't have them getting in the way. Suppose it can't be helped. For now at least. I need to think this over carefully. I also need a way of disguising myself. I'm sure I can get a freelancer to make something for me. I put my face in my hands. God, I've been watching way too many super hero movies. I'm going to need to think on that.

I opened the calender app on my phone. Let's see...I have a film that I need to go out and film for in about a month. I need to get rid of these guys at least three weeks before I have to leave town. I drummed my fingers on top my desk in thought. Maybe I don't need to get my hands dirty. I can get someone else to do it for me. I'll have to use a fake alias when I do it. I shook my head. No. No. No. I need to be the one to do it. I slammed my hands a bit too loudly on my desk. Damn it! Taya got hurt because of me last time. So I'm going to be the one to end all of this. I made an alarm for 1am that night and went downstairs.

Taya was still asleep by the time I got downstairs. I sighed in relief. A part of me wondered if I was really going mad or if grief was really consuming me. I shook my head. No, what I was feeling was justified. Things had to be done. I couldn't rely on the system established years ago to do it for me.

I had Helda watch Taya while I headed out "for a run". I drove to the location Delwyn had talked about. I managed to get a hold of Tio's handgun. I waited a few blocks down. I parked behind a semi to keep my car out of sight. I stood by the semi. Tio's handgun sat between my hands. I was poised, ready to strike. Excitement coursed through my veins.

A pair of headlights shined into the alley. I watched as a dark colored vehicle pulled into the parking lot behind the warehouse. Another vehicle pulled up next to it. There were a total of eight men like Delwyn said in the email. I pulled the hammer up on the back of the handgun. I silently made my way over there.

One of the men looked at me. "hey look. It's the asshole from two weeks ago."

"come back for more?" another sneered.

The men started to form a circle around me. I expressed no fear. I said nothing as they moved in on me.

"we're getting really tired of your shit, runt."

"you should just probably head on back to your penthouse."

"oh and tell your defiled daughter that we said hello."

A growl left my chest. "you bastards!" I lifted my handgun up. I just started shooting. I shot one of the men dead on in the chest. I then popped another one in the leg. I wasn't going to stop until all of them were dead. They were all animals to me. I put the barrel of my gun to the head of the one I had just shot in the head. I pulled the trigger. The bullet went right through his skull. He gasped and slumped over onto the ground. I turned to the others. I opened fire on the rest of them.

They pulled guns on me. I felt a couple of bullets land in various parts of my body. The adrenaline kicked in. I aimed for one of them. I shot them in the head. They fell over backwards. We kept trading blows with each other. The two remaining members tried to flee the scene. I shot one in the back of the ankle. They tripped over the railing. They slammed their forehead into the side of the ditch on the way down. Their body slid down the wall. I shot the guy at the base of his neck. He fell face forward onto the ground. I stood in the parking lot panting. I held my shoulder. The adrenaline faded from my system. I felt pain shoot through me. I quickly limped back to my car. I threw it into reverse and pulled away from the scene.

I got my wounds fixed up at Tio's before heading home. I sat out in the driveway for a few moments. I took my bloodstained shirt off. I chucked it into the trunk. I pulled out another one that I had in the back. I quickly tugged it over my head. I walked into the house. Helda looked up from her book. She put her fingers to her lips. She gestured to Taya who was sleeping on the couch. I dipped my head at her in understanding. Helda got up from the recliner. She waved goodbye to me before quietly leaving the house. I sat down in the recliner. I exhaled softly. The excitement from earlier left my system. Taya was safe again.

Maybe now the both of us can finally heal...


	5. Chapter 5

**Final Disclaimer:**

**\- This chapter mentions suicide and depression. If either one of those topics is a huge trigger for you then please refrain from reading this story.**

**-This chapter also mentions the recent Black Lives Matter Protests. If that topic is rather hard for you to sit through then please do not read this story. **

**\- From here on out, the chapters will be super long. If you cannot sit through a long chapter, please don't read past this point. I will not be making the chapters any shorter.**

**-Keep in mind that this is an AU to Set For Action. None of what is written in this story is canon to the actual special. I've written it to produce a backstory for Flex. Note that I am not saying that how he handled himself in the special was the correct way. I am not condoning his actions. **

Chapter Five:

Taya's legs trembled underneath of her. She gripped as hard as she could on the railing. She turned her head slightly to look at me. I gave her an encouraging nod. She took another step. Her left leg twitched. It bucked suddenly. I got up out of the chair. The therapist managed to get to her before I did. Taya let out an annoyed sigh. Physical therapy had been tough the past month. Taya's right side of her body was completely messed up. Nerves weren't sending impulses like they should. Her right leg had become a dead weight. She could barely use it. Her right hand dangled by her side. She still couldn't use that hand either. A look of disappointment flashed across her face.

"Chin up, Kiddo. You made it further than you did last week." I said comfortingly.

"I was hoping I could do better..I still can't walk without falling over."

I ruffled her hair gently. "You'll get there eventually."

She leaned against me. Her therapist looked up at me. "I think we'll have to call it a day. Bring her in next week around the same time. Make sure she does her exercises."

I nodded. "Of course. See you next week."

I took Taya out to my car. She sat down in the passenger seat. I closed the door on her gently before climbing in on the driver's side. I looked at her. She seemed upset. I reached over and took her good hand in mine. I ran my thumb over the top of it. "Your doing great." I kissed the top of her head.

"why do you have so much faith in me?" she asked.

"I love you and have a firm belief that you'll pull through this."

She looked up at me. "Do you really mean that?"

"Yep. You'll be okay. I promise."

She goes quiet. I took her back to our place. I laid her down on the couch. She curled up close to her lizard plush. I walked off into the kitchen. "are you hungry?"

"Yeah..a little bit."

I made Taya a small snack. She ate it in tiny bites. Her lack of appetite was beginning to concern me. I took the empty plate back from her. "Kiddo, are you feeling okay?" I asked.

She shrugged. I sat with her on the couch. "what's up?"

"Why do you continue to hold onto me?"

"Because I love you and I want to help you."

She shifts uncomfortably. "But I can't take care of myself. Your putting your career on hold for me. Why do that?"

"Again, your my daughter. Your life is so much more than some TV Show. There will always be film opportunities but there's only one chance with you." I held her close. "Never forget how much you mean to me."

I felt her nod quietly. I kissed the top of her head. I lifted her chin up. "You are so much tougher than you give yourself credit for and I'm going to be here every step of the way."

She sniffed. She smiled at me slightly. "Thank you."

I grinned. For once, it was a genuine one. It wasn't one that I had to force. Taya was my world now. She was everything I had left. I snapped out of my haze once my phone buzzed. I let out a small groan of annoyance.

**Don: Hey Flex, I have scheduled you a flight out to New York for your next movie. **

**Me: Is Taya going to be with me? You forget she's still not well enough to be alone yet. **

**Don: Of course. Helda will be with her during the days you need to be on set. You have to fly to New York next week. **

**Me: Great. I appreciate you being so supportive, Donny. **

**Don: It's not a problem. I think in a weird way, Taya has become a part of my family too. Didn't think that I'd be the Uncle. **

**Me: (laughing emoji) Uncle Don. **

**Don: Ha..ha...very funny. Don't be late. **

**Me: I won't. **

I put my phone back in my pocket. "what's wrong, dad?" asked Taya.

"That was Don. Your going to New York with me next week."

A look of concern flashed across Taya's face. "but you and Helda will be there with me. I refuse to just leave you here." I added.

"I see...suppose that'll be fun…"

"You'll be okay. I promise. I'll check on you as often as I can after filming." I ruffled her hair gently.

Taya gave me a small smile. She leaned her head up against my chest.

It was about 6am in the morning the following week. Helda helped me get Taya's things into the car. Taya looked out the back window of my car. Helda and I climbed in once everything was loaded up. "Well nijo, at least we'll be taking a private plane."

"Yeah. Don't think I can deal with another public flight." I grumbled.

I did a quick glance into the rear view mirror at Taya. Taya kept her gaze out the window. "you doing okay, kiddo?"

"Yeah..I'm fine. Just didn't expect to wake up so early." she chuckled.

I laughed. "yeah but you'll be able to sleep plenty on the flight there."

She gave me a small nod.

It was an hour drive to a private airport on the outskirts of L.A. I carried Taya up into the inside of the plane. I laid her down on the couch inside of it. She let out a tired sigh as her body hit the couch's plush surface. I sat down in a chair across from the couch. Helda climbed in after us. She sat with me in the other chair.

I looked out the window to see the pilot and crew getting the plane ready for departure. Once the plane had been refueled, we were up in the air. The morning sun started to peak on the horizon. I could feel the ice steadily seep into my veins again. I could see the glowing eyes of the monster deep within me. A reminder of a creature waiting to pounce should something happen to either Taya or Helda. I couldn't afford to let my guard down.

Another hour passed before we were up in the air. The morning sun shined through the bottoms of the clouds. Taya continued to sleep peacefully for the first time in weeks. I watched her peacefully sleep on the couch. This was the first time in ages that she's been able to rest. The both of us had been on edge. I adjusted myself in my chair. I could feel myself start to drift off.

We touched down in L.A about 6 hours later. A car waited for us at the runway. Don had arranged for someone to meet us there. Taya was still sleeping by the time we reached the hotel. I laid her down on the couch in our hotel room which was a rather large penthouse suite. It had a massive living room. A hallway connected the bedroom to the living room. The living room had a fully stocked kitchen at the top left corner of it.

My phone buzzed quietly in my pocket. I looked to see a text from Don.

**Don: Hey kiddo. Hope you found the hotel in one peace. I made sure that you guys got the penthouse suite. Now I want you to rest up because we've got a big day tomorrow. The script should be in your email. **

I fished my laptop out of my bag. I turned it on so I could read the email he sent me. I skimmed through the script just to get an idea as to what the plot was. Two For Two had a very Fast and Furious style plot. I was going to be playing one of the lead characters in the movie. I heard a gentle tap on the door. Helda poked her head in. "I was getting ready to order dinner, any preference?"

"let's see..we had cold pizza the past two nights so something that isn't pizza." I said.

She laughed. "you got it."

I heard the door click shut. I went back to reading the script. I read the lines out loud to myself a few times just to make sure I had them memorized. I closed my laptop and headed back out into the living room. Taya was rubbing sleep from her eyes. "hey dad…"

"Hey Tay. Sleep well?"

She nodded. I sat down next to her. She cuddled up close to me. I laid my hand gently on the side of her head. She settled down further onto my lap. I reached over to grab the remote from the other side of the couch. I flicked on the TV. A news clip about the recent riots flashed on screen.

_**Protests in several major cities across the country turned violent this weekend, as weeks of civil unrest and clashes between activists and authorities boiled over, sending thousands of people teeming into public squares demanding racial justice.**_

_**From Los Angeles to Richmond to Omaha, police and protesters clashed in a tumultuous Saturday night that saw scores arrested after demonstrators took the streets and police in some cities dispersed crowds with tear gas and pepper spray.**_

_**In Austin, a man was shot and killed in the midst of a downtown rally. In Richmond, a truck was set ablaze outside police headquarters. Outside of Denver, a Jeep sped through a phalanx of people marching down an interstate when a shot was fired, injuring a protester, police said.**_

_**The focal point of the protests continued to be in the Pacific Northwest, where a week of clashes between activists and federal agents in Portland, Ore., pumped new energy into a movement that began in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on Memorial Day.**_

I heard Taya whimper quietly. "Dad, was that why mom was killed? Because of her skin color?"

I felt my blood run cold. "I...I don't know, sweetie. I wish I knew."

"Why didn't nobody get justice for mom?"

I bit my lip. "I'm not sure."

I felt her hold get tight on me. "I wish they had protested when mommy died. That way that man would of went to jail."

I stroked her hair gently. I quickly changed the channel to one that was playing a movie. Taya fell silent as her and I watched it.

A heavy knock came at the door. Helda walked in. "I'm back."

I looked up at her from the back of the couch. She carried in bags with boxes of hot food inside of them. She set the boxes down on the counter. "Food's here."

Helda did up plates for the both of us. She joined us in the living room to eat. Taya picked at her food. "you okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine. Just don't feel hungry...I guess."

"Could it be because of her medicine?" questioned Helda.

"Maybe." I set my plate down on the table. I put my hand on Taya's shoulder. "we'll be okay, kiddo."

Taya frowns. "I don't get it. Why do you insist on keeping me around? I'm a disabled sheep. I can barely take care of myself." She balled her good hand into a fist. "You should of just left me behind."

I saddened. "Tay..you aren't a burden. Helda and I have no issues with helping you."

I took her balled fist into my hands. "I love you. Never forget that. No matter what I'll be here."

She sniffed. She wrapped her arm around my neck. I rubbed her back. I rested my head on her shoulder.

I laid down in bed later on that night. I stared up at the ceiling. Taya's words earlier lingered in the back of my mind. A part of me was afraid that something drastic would happen if I left her. She was all I had left. She was what was keeping me from going down a rather dark path. I was pulled out of my thoughts by a loud scream.

I jumped out of bed. I ran down the hallway. Taya was in the mother of all nightmares. I quickly went over to her bedside. I held her down. "Taya! Taya! Wake up!" I shouted.

Taya bolted upright. She struggled to get out of my grasp. I wrapped my arms firmly around her. "Shh, it's alright baby. I'm right here." I held her close to me.

I heard her sniff. She buried her face in my stomach. She sobbed into me. I rubbed her back. "It'll be alright. They aren't here. Your safe."

She drew in quick and short breathes. A shaky sigh left her lips. I sat down on the edge of her bed. She looked up at me. She said nothing as she kept a firm hold of my hand. We sat in silence for a few moments. She stared at the door way behind me like she was expecting someone. "Did you want to talk about your dream?" I asked.

She shook her head. She dropped her gaze.

I ran my thumb over the back of her hand. "Dad, do you think the people who hurt us are still out there?"

I felt a twinge of guilt hit me. I bit my lip. I kept from making a face at her. "I'm not sure, Tay. They could be but they sure as hell won't hurt us here."

"I hope not…"

"Did you want to come sleep with me?"

Taya nodded. "if that's not too much to ask. I don't want to sleep alone."

I picked Taya up in my arms. I walked her into my bedroom. I laid her down in bed. I climbed in with her. She cuddled close to my chest. "Good night, dad."

"Night kiddo."

She fell asleep in my arms. Her warmth was what lulled me to sleep. 

"And cut! Get ready for the next scene!"

Filming had begun immediately the next morning. The first scene we shot was a beginning police chase sequence. I stretched and rubbed behind my neck. I was finding it rather hard to focus on filming. Taya kept entering my thoughts every chance I had.

Don walked up to me. "You okay?"

"Hm? Yeah. I'm fine. Just tired."

He lofted an eyebrow at me. "you sure?"

"Yeah. Yeah. Honest Don. You forget it's been a while since I've done any films."

He sighed. "Alright. If ya say so."

I walked over to my trailer. I took my phone out of my pocket. I decided to check up on Taya before I went through and filmed the next scene. I sent a quick text to Helda.

**Helda: She's doing okay, Nijo. Been resting most of the morning. **

**Me: Good. I know she didn't get much sleep last night. She hasn't left my thoughts once this morning. **

**Helda: I'm sure she'll be okay. She's in capable hands. **

**Me: Yeah. She's with you. Just keep an eye on her, okay?**

**Helda: Will do. Best of luck today. **

The rest of filming went by smoothly. I came home to see Taya sitting out in the living room. Helda was in the kitchen cooking. "I'm home!" I shouted.

"Welcome home, Nijo."

I walked over to the living room. Taya continued to stare blankly at the TV. I waved my hand in front of her face. "Tay?"

She shook her head. She snapped of her haze. "Hm? Oh hi dad. How was filming?"

I sat down on the couch next to her. "Same old. Same old. Nothing really changes apart from Don becoming a pain."

She cracked a small smile. "When is he not a pain?"

I chuckled. "You better not let him hear you say that out loud."

I reached over and ruffled her hair gently. She leaned further into my touch. She held onto my arm. I smiled. I gently squished the top of her head. "I got a Taya."

She chuckled. "yeah. You do."

She touched my hand with her good hand. Some of her personality was starting to show through the shroud of darkness that had engulfed her. I felt a glimmer of hope that things were going to get better between the two of us.

I laid awake in bed again. I kept an ear out in case Taya had a nightmare. The only noise I could hear was from the penthouse settling. I let out a quiet sigh. I checked my phone to discover that it was about 10 at night still. "I need a drink." I muttered.

I drove away from the hotel we were staying at. I looked around for a bar or liquor store that happened to be open. I managed to find a Sport's Bar that wasn't going to close until 3 in the morning. I walked in to immediately get surprised looks from the people inside of it. A few of them muttered about me quietly to themselves.

I sat down at the bar top. The bartender glanced at me. He was a 6' 1" male with tanned skin. He had dark silver hair and glowing white eyes. He had rather smooth facial features. "Good Evening, Mr. Dexter. What can I get for you?" he greeted in a rather thick Greek accent.

"I don't really know off the top of my head. Do you have a menu?"

He nodded. "course." He slid a menu over to me.

I tapped my fingers on the bar top gently. "Just get me a Rum Swizzle."

The bartender nodded. "can I interest you in anything to eat as well?"

"uh..just some loaded potato skins would be nice." I handed the menu back to him.

"You got it."

The bartender headed off to make my drink. I let out a soft sigh. I took my phone out of my pocket. I felt a twinge of sadness as I stared at my lock screen. I set one of the last images that Grace and I ever took of each other as my lock screen wallpaper. I ran my thumb over the top of the screen. _I wish you were here. I'm not sure what to do. Taya is suffering. I feel like I can't help her. I'm a bad dad. If only you were still with us. _I thought sadly.

The bartender came back with my drink. "So what's brought you here today, hm?"

"Rough day of filming." I replied casually. "It's been ages since I last set foot on a movie set."

"I see." He leans against the counter. "You know, I don't often get famous movie stars to walk through my door."

I flashed him a small smile. "well I'm honored to be your first."

He grinned back. I took a quick sip of my drink. I must of made a bit of a face because he tilted his head in concern.

"It's a bit sweet." I slid the glass over to him.

He frowned. "oh dear. That must have been the syrup we used. It's a new mix. I'll def not be using that mix again. Can I make you another drink?"

"Uhh..sure if you want to."

He takes the glass. He dumps the liquid down into the drain behind the bar top. I watched as he put some things together for another one. "by the way, my name is Chike."

"Sounds like a very Greek name."

Chike smiled. "that's because I'm from Athens."

I nodded. "Don't get to meet people from Greece that often."

"Have you never been to Athens?"

I shook my head. "No. The movies I film haven't brought me there yet."

"Oh I see. Well hopefully you'll be able to go there one day. My hometown is rather beautiful. I miss it dearly."

"What brought you here?"

"A job. I wanted to start fresh in life, you know?"

I nodded in understanding. "Seems like that's the case for a lot of immigrants coming into our country. We're pleased to have you."

"Well thank you. Those are very kind words."

I grinned. I took a swig of the drink he just made me. I glanced up at him. "It actually doesn't taste bad. It's kind of like drinking a cake almost."

"Is that a good or a bad thing?"

"It's a good thing." I said as I took another drink again.

He grinned at me. "I'm glad your enjoying it thus far."

A small bell dinged behind him. He walked over to the window. The chef put a plate of what looked to be potato skins on it. He set the plate down in front of me. "Enjoy."

I nodded. "I will."

He stepped away from the counter. I shoved a potato skin into my mouth as I glanced at my phone. I started flipping through pictures of Grace. It had gotten hard to look at them since she passed. I couldn't really look at other people the same way since. I didn't notice that Chike had walked back over. "Why the long face, friend?"

I sighed softly. "Just thinking about my girl, ya know? I lost her at a rather young age. We were going to get married but some asshat put a bullet through her."

A sad look flashed across his face. "Condolences."

"Not your fault. I wish I had gone with her that night." I glanced down at the bar counter. "She would have been alive a lot longer had I had been with her."

Chike leaned forward a bit on the counter. "Things happen for a reason, friend. Don't blame yourself. I'm sure she's up there with the 13 watching over you. Wearing the biggest smile she can muster."

I swallowed back a hard lump. "I hope so. She left behind a kid for me to take care of. The poor thing got jumped while out trick or treating with me. Those brutes left her so fucked up. I feel like a bad dad because I didn't do anything to protect her. She's struggling with her injuries. I don't know what to do to make life better for her.."

I saw Chike offer me his hand. I lofted an eyebrow before letting him take my hand. He firmly clasped it. He smiled warmly at me. "Do what you can for her, okay? Help her with what she needs. Make her feel loved. Most importantly, you keep any flame she has left burning in her alive."

A weak smile formed on my lips. "Thank you, Chike."

"No problem, Friend."

He then took out a small card. I watched him write something on the back of it. He slid it over to me. "Here. This is my number. Call or text me if you need anything."

I took his card and stuck it into my pocket. "I will."

I headed back to the penthouse after a while. I paused outside of Taya's room to check up on her. Taya was laying peacefully under the covers. I noticed that she looked rather pale. "Tay?"

I walked over to check on her. I put two fingers on the side of her neck. Her skin was coated in sweat. Her pulse was super weak as well. "Taya?"

I shook her gently. As soon as her body rolled over, I saw how blue her lips looked.

"No. No. Please no! HELDA!" I shouted.

Helda quickly ran into Taya's room. "Nijo? What's wrong?"

"A-Ambulance. H-Help her. Call someone." I sputtered out.

"Okay." She took her phone out of her pocket. She started to talk to somebody on the other end quietly.

I held Taya's small body in my arms. I pressed her firmly against my chest. Her breathe was shallow. I moved her bangs back away from her face. "Hang in there, kiddo."

She didn't move. She didn't respond to my voice. The EMTs soon arrived at the house. Helda had to hold me back as they loaded her onto a gurney. I shouted for her. "No..no..this wasn't supposed to happen."

I felt Helda rub my back gently. I struggled to get away from her. "Don't touch me!" I growled.

"Nijo, it'll be alright. She'll make it. Let's just head to the hospital."

I nodded. I quickly raced back out to my car. I climbed into the driver's side. Helda quickly climbed into the car with me.

We followed the ambulance to the hospital. We watched Taya get wheeled away to the ICU. I paced the floor of the waiting room. Helda sat down in one of the chairs. The world around me blurred out of focus. I tucked my hands into my pockets. I could feel something in one of my pockets. I quickly realized the card that Chike had given me. I shot him a quick text.

**Chike: Did you need me to be there for you?**

**Me: If you don't mind..**

**Chike: It's no problem. I'll be there soon. **

I plopped down in one of the chairs. I tapped my thumb on my phone's lock screen. Helda sat down next to me. She rested an arm over the top of my shoulders. "it'll be okay, nijo."

"I hope so, Helda. Taya is my world." I rasped. "If she dies then I would of failed as a father. I shouldn't of left tonight."

"Don't blame yourself. None of this was your fault."

I wrapped my arms around myself. "I just feel like the universe is punishing me. What did I do?"

"You did nothing wrong. The universe is just fickle."

We heard the hospital doors open. Chike walked over to us. "I came as soon as I heard."

Helda looked at me. "Who is your friend?"

"Helda, this is Chike. I befriended him at the bar."

She nodded. "It's very nice to meet you though you picked an interesting time to show up."

"I came for moral support."

He sat down on the other side of me. The three of us waited until about 3 am in the morning. I spotted one of the night doctors coming out of the ICU. I stood up immediately. "which one of you is Ms. Tsukiyama's relative?"

I held my hand up. The doctor walked over to me. "well I do have some good news. She did manage to survive her attempt at overdosing."

"Overdose?"

"We did some blood work on her to see what was causing the discoloration around her lips. The tests came back positive for 4,350 grams of Acetaminophen."

I paled. _She attempted to kill herself? Why? I…_

I held back a hard lump that had formed in my throat. "Will she be okay?"

"Hard to tell at this stage. When somebody takes more than the recommended dose of pain meds their odds of surviving are very slim. We've put her into a medically induced coma for the time being. Just to give her body time to recover."

I nodded quietly. The convulsing got worse. Chike walked over to me. He put his arm around my shoulders. "can we see her?"

"Her close relative can. The rest will have to head home as visiting hours are over."

Helda stood up. "Why don't I stay here, nijo? You need to get some rest."

I held my hand up. "Let me stay with her. I was the one that didn't watch her. This is all my fault."

"Nijo.."

"I'll stay with you, Ms. Helda."

I turned to face her. "I'll be fine. Chike will look after you."

She sighed. "if that's what you wish."

I nodded. Helda walked out of the hospital with Chike. She glanced at me worriedly through the glass. I gave her a reassuring smile. I followed the doctor to Taya's room. Taya had been hooked up to machines to keep her alive. She looked so small and frail. I walked over to her bedside. Tears formed in my eyes. "can you leave me alone with her? Please?"

"of course."

I heard the door behind me close. I immediately broke down by her bedside. Guilt tore at my heart. Taya was my whole world. It was my fault she was laying here, dying. I ended up crying myself into a dreamless sleep.

The next day came. I woke up to feeling something in my palm. I opened one eye to see a note placed underneath of my hand. I sat up to read it.

_**Dad-**_

_**This is very hard for me to write. Especially since I can't keep control of my hand for very long. By the time you read this, I'll already of joined mom. I don't want to burden you anymore. I'm sorry. I feel bad that you have to do everything for me. I feel bad that you've had to put your career on hold for me. You shouldn't have to do any of that. **_

_**I was scared to tell you how I was feeling. No matter how much you tried to make me feel better, those demons still crept on me. The voices wouldn't let me rest. **_

_**So I've decided to put an end to the torture. I love you. Never forget that. **_

_**\- Taya**_

I let the note fall back onto the bed. I stared hollowly at Taya who was still asleep. "You were never a burden to me." I said quietly. "I wish you could hear me say that to you. Don't even for a moment think that you are burdening me in any way. You never stopped me from doing what I loved. You were the reason why I kept going when Grace passed away."

I ran the back of my hand down her cheek gently. I heard something move in Taya's room. I looked up to see Helda stirring from the recliner. "You okay, nijo?" she asked.

"I'm fine. Just a little..hollow."

She walked over to me. I felt her put her arms around my shoulders. "This wasn't your fault. The universe just handed the both of you bad hands."

"In a lot of ways, I still feel like the universe is punishing me. It's like my existence is the reason why everyone close to me gets hurt."

Helda lifted up my chin. "that's not true. You and I both know that."

"What else am I supposed to believe, Helda? The love of my life is dead. My daughter is fighting for her life. I've got a film shoot that I feel like I'm not ready for. I just can't deal with life at the moment."

"Just breathe and take it one step at a time."

I exhaled softly. "I'll try to. No promises."

Taya spent a week in the hospital. I would check up on her every once and a while between sets. I found it hard rather hard to focus on my acting. I sat down in my trailer. I had my face in my hands. I heard a sharp knock on the door. "Come in."

Don came walking in. "Flex, the hospital wants to talk to you."

I frowned. He handed over the phone to me.

**Me: Hello?**

**?: Hi this is Doctor Diego from New York Hospital. I regret to inform you that Taya passed away this morning at around 9 am. **

My hand began to shake. My hand tightened around my phone.

**Me: She's what?**

**Doctor Diego: Dead, sir. She passed away peacefully in her sleep. **

**Me: I..I understand. I'll be over soon.**

I hung up. My heart tightened in my chest. My hand shook. "Uh..Flex?" asked Don. "You alright?"

"My daughter passed away this morning." I chucked my phone at the wall. I heard it snap violently. "DAMN IT! I KNEW I SHOULDN'T OF GONE INTO WORK!"

Don glanced down. "You needed the distraction."

"The only thing I needed was to be there for her!" I spat. "It's all about my career to you isn't it?!"

"Flex-"

I stormed out of my trailer. The door slammed shut behind me. I got in my car and drove up to the hospital. Helda was waiting in the waiting room for me. She looked rather upset. "Oh Nijo..I'm so sorry."

I held my hand up. "Don't even tell me that this shit wasn't my fault. I should of taken better care of her."

"Nijo…"

"Just….don't." I growled through gritted teeth. "Where is she?"

"Still in the ICU. They're prepping her body to be sent off."

I walked towards Taya's room. Two of the nurses stood in my path. "Let me through!" I snapped.

"The coroner is inspecting the body. You can't go in there!"

"That's my daughter, damn it! I came to see her!"

"You can't go in right now. She's being examined."

I tried to push past them again. "No! Taya!" I shouted.

I felt a pair of arms go around me. "I've got him!"

Don was tugging me away from the room. "C'mon kiddo. Let the man do his job."

"No! Let me go!"

Don dragged me out into the waiting room. I twitched in his arms. "Helda, take him back to the penthouse. I'll wait with the girl."

She nodded. "Of Course, Mr. Sledgehammer."

"Don't you touch me!" I spat.

"Go with Helda." said Don firmly.

Helda put her arm around me. She dragged me out of the hospital. Tears blurred my vision. We headed back to the penthouse. I trudged off to my room. I slammed the door and locked it. I slid down it. I put my face in my hands. I gripped either side of my head. Tears streamed down my face. A mournful cry tore out of my chest. I shouted my daughter's name at the ceiling.

Why did it have to be her? Why take her too? Why take the one last good thing I had in my life?


End file.
